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Please visit this url for more educational videos:
World War I (abbreviated as WW-I, WWI, or WW1), also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict that embroiled most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance. Over 70 million military personnel were mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. The main combatants descended into a state of total war, pumping their entire scientific and industrial capabilities into the war effort. Over 15 million people were killed, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in history.
The immediate or proximate cause of war was the assassination on 28 June 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist. Austria-Hungary's resulting demands against the Kingdom of Serbia activated a sequence of alliances. Within weeks the major European powers were at war; their global empires meant that the conflict soon spread worldwide.
By the war's end, four major imperial powers—Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire—had been militarily and politically defeated, with the latter two ceasing to exist as autonomous entities. The revolutionized Soviet Union emerged from the Russian Empire, while the map of central Europe was completely redrawn into numerous smaller states. The League of Nations was formed in the hope of preventing another such conflict. The European nationalism spawned by the war, the repercussions of Germany's defeat, and the Treaty of Versailles would eventually lead to the beginning of World War II in 1939.
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INTEGRATED THEME UNIT: CRUISING THE CARIBBEAN - PART 4 - HONDURAS (ELEM/MIDDLE)
This fun unit features the adventures of Melvin and Morris as they visit Honduras while cruising the Caribbean includes a realistic fiction reading selection, comprehension questions and map reading skills. 6 pages including answer key
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"Nofollow" provides a way for webmasters to tell search engines "Don't follow links on this page" or "Don't follow this specific link."
nofollow attribute appeared in the page-level meta tag, and instructed search engines not to follow (i.e., crawl) any outgoing links on the page. For example:
<meta name="robots" content="nofollow" />
nofollow was used on individual links, preventing robots from following individual links on a page required a great deal of effort (for example, redirecting the link to a URL blocked in robots.txt). That's why the
nofollow attribute value of the
rel attribute was created. This gives webmasters more granular control: instead of telling search engines and bots not to follow any links on the page, it lets you easily instruct robots not to crawl a specific link. For example:
<a href="signin.php" rel="nofollow">sign in</a>
How does Google handle nofollowed links?
In general, we don't follow them. This means that Google does not transfer PageRank or anchor text across these links. Essentially, using
nofollow causes us to drop the target links from our overall graph of the web. However, the target pages may still appear in our index if other sites link to them without using
nofollow, or if the URLs are submitted to Google in a Sitemap. Also, it's important to note that other search engines may handle
nofollow in slightly different ways.
What are Google's policies and some specific examples of nofollow usage?
Here are some cases in which you might want to consider using
- Untrusted content: If you can't or don't want to vouch for the content of pages you link to from your site — for example, untrusted user comments or guestbook entries — you should nofollow those links. This can discourage spammers from targeting your site, and will help keep your site from inadvertently passing PageRank to bad neighborhoods on the web. In particular, comment spammers may decide not to target a specific content management system or blog service if they can see that untrusted links in that service are nofollowed. If you want to recognize and reward trustworthy contributors, you could decide to automatically or manually remove the
nofollowattribute on links posted by members or users who have consistently made high-quality contributions over time.
- Paid links: A site's ranking in Google search results is partly based on analysis of those sites that link to it. In order to prevent paid links from influencing search results and negatively impacting users, we urge webmasters use
nofollowon such links. Search engine guidelines require machine-readable disclosure of paid links in the same way that consumers online and offline appreciate disclosure of paid relationships (for example, a full-page newspaper ad may be headed by the word "Advertisement"). More information on Google's stance on paid links.
- Crawl prioritization: Search engine robots can't sign in or register as a member on your forum, so there's no reason to invite Googlebot to follow "register here" or "sign in" links. Using
nofollowon these links enables Googlebot to crawl other pages you'd prefer to see in Google's index. However, a solid information architecture — intuitive navigation, user- and search-engine-friendly URLs, and so on — is likely to be a far more productive use of resources than focusing on crawl prioritization via nofollowed links.
How does nofollow work with the Social Graph API (rel="nofollow me")?
If you host user profiles and allow users to link to other profiles on the web, we encourage you to mark those links with the rel="me" microformat so that they can be made available through the Social Graph API. For example:
<a href="http://blog.example.com" rel="me">My blog</a>
However, because these links are user-generated and may sometimes point to untrusted pages, we recommend that these links be marked with nofollow. For example:
<a href="http://blog.example.com" rel="me nofollow">My blog</a>
rel="me nofollow", Google will continue to treat the
rel="nofollow" as expected for search purposes, such as not transferring PageRank. However, for the Social Graph API, we will count the
rel="me" link even when included with a
To prevent crawling of a rel="me nofollow" URL, you can use robots.txt. Standard robots.txt exclusion rules are respected by both Googlebot and the Social Graph API.
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Joined: 16 Mar 2004
|Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:50 pm Post subject: New Holographic Method for Lab-on-a-Chip Technologies
These images were taken from a video illustrating a new technique that uses a laser and holograms to precisely position clusters of numerous tiny particles within seconds, representing a potential new tool to analyze biological samples or create devices using "nanoassembly." The red dots are individual particles. (Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University)
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a technique that uses a laser and holograms to precisely position numerous tiny particles within seconds, representing a potential new tool to analyze biological samples or create devices using nanoassembly.
The technique, called rapid electrokinetic patterning, is a potential alternative to existing technologies because the patterns can be more quickly and easily changed, said mechanical engineering doctoral student Stuart J. Williams.
"It's potentially a very versatile tool," said Williams, who is working with doctoral student Aloke Kumar and Steven T. Wereley, an associate professor of mechanical engineering.
The research is based at the Birck Nanotechnology Center in Purdue's Discovery Park .
The students won a research award for their work in October during the 12th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences in San Diego . Four young researcher poster awards were selected out of more than 220 posters judged in the contest. Findings also have been recently published in two peer-reviewed journals, Lab on a Chip and Microfluidics and Nanofluidics.
The experimental device consists of two parallel electrodes made of indium tin oxide, a transparent and electrically conductive material. The parallel plates were spaced 50 micrometers, or millionths of a meter, apart, equivalent to two-thousandths of an inch or about the diameter of a human hair. A liquid sample containing fluorescent beads was injected between the two electrodes, a laser in the near infrared range of the spectrum was shined through one of the transparent electrodes and a small electrical voltage was applied between the two electrodes.
"We send holograms of various patterns through this and, because they are holograms, we can create different shapes, such as straight lines or L patterns," Kumar said.
The particles in the liquid sample automatically move to the location of the light and assume the shape of the hologram, meaning the method could be used to not only move particles and molecules to specific locations but also to create tiny electronic or mechanical features.
"It's a very dynamic system, so we can change this pattern quickly," Kumar said.
The light heats up the liquid sample slightly, changing its density and electrical properties. The electric field applied to the plates acts on these altered properties, causing the heated sample to circulate, much like heated air causes convection currents in the atmosphere, producing a donut-shaped "microfluidic vortex" of circulating liquid between the two plates.
This vortex enables the researchers to position the particles in the circulating liquid by moving the laser light.
"You could take one particle, a hundred particles or a thousand particles and move them anywhere you want in any shape that you want," Williams said. "If you have particles of two different types, you can sort one group out and keep the other behind. It's a versatile tool."
Separating particles is important for analyzing medical and environmental samples. The system could allow researchers to design sensor technologies that move particles to specific regions on an electronic chip for detection or analysis.
The technique overcomes limitations inherent in two existing methods for manipulating particles measured on the scale of nanometers, or billionths of a meter. One of those techniques, called optical trapping, uses a highly focused beam of light to capture and precisely position particles. That technique, however, is able to move only a small number of particles at a time.
The other technique, known as dielectrophoresis, uses electric fields generated from metallic circuits to move many particles at a time. Those circuit patterns, however, cannot be changed once they are created.
The new method is able to simultaneously position numerous particles and be changed at a moment's notice simply by changing the shape of the hologram or the position of the light.
"If you want to pattern individual particles on a massive scale using electrokinetic methods as precisely as we are doing it, it could take hours to days, where we are doing it in seconds," Williams said.
The method offers promise for future "lab-on-a-chip" technology, or using electronic chips to analyze biological samples for medical and environmental applications. Researchers are trying to develop such chips that have a "high throughput," or the ability to quickly detect numerous particles or molecules, such as proteins, using the smallest sample possible.
"For example, a single drop of blood contains millions of red blood cells and countless molecules," Williams said. "You always want to have the smallest sample possible so you don't generate waste and you don't have to use as many chemicals for processing the sample. You want to have a very efficient high throughput type of device."
So-called "optical tweezers" use light to position objects such as cells or molecules.
"You can't use mechanical tweezers to move things like molecules because they are too delicate and will be damaged by conventional tweezers," Kumar said. "That is why techniques like optical tweezing and dielectrophoresis are very popular."
The students also have designed an experiment containing one indium tin oxide plate and one gold plate, an important development because gold is often used in biomedical applications.
"It's a technique that you would likely use in sensors, but we also see definite potential ways in which you could use it to manufacture devices with nanoassembly," Wereley said. "But it's really too soon to talk about scaling this up in a manufacturing setting. We're just beginning to develop this technique."
The researchers recorded videos of the circulating particles to document the effect. A video showing the effect was selected as an outstanding entry during a meeting of the American Physical Society in November. The video can be accessed at http://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/11399 .
"This technique has not been done before," Williams said. "We can pattern light, we can pattern particles, we can pattern the vortex. No other tool can do all of these."
The researchers demonstrated how the method could be used to cause particles to stick permanently to a surface in a single crystalline layer, a structure that could be used in manufacturing. They used their technique to move fluorescent-dyed beads of polystyrene, latex and glass in sizes ranging from 50 nanometers to 3 micrometers.
Future work may involve using a less expensive light source, such as a common laser pointer, which could not be used to create intricate patterns but might be practical for manufacturing.
Source: Emil Venere http://www.purdue.edu/dp/Nanotechnology/news.php
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If you take your ears for granted, listen up: hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the U.S. It's also on the rise. Compared to a 1971 federal survey that estimated 13.2 million Americans had hearing loss, up to 36 million Americans now report lost hearing. When hearing goes, it may affect quality of life and relationships.
In this article, WebMD looks at the causes, symptoms, and treatment of hearing loss. If you have lost some of your hearing, you'll find strategies to keep lines of communication open with friends and family. If your hearing is still intact, this article could help you keep it that way for years to come.
The following suggestions will help you care for hearing aids:
Keep hearing aids away from heat and moisture.
Replace dead batteries immediately.
Clean hearing aids as instructed.
Do not use hairspray or other hair care products while wearing hearing aids.
Turn off hearing aids when they are not in use.
Keep replacement batteries and small aids away from children and pets.
Certain conditions, including age, illness, and genetics, may contribute to hearing loss. Over several generations, modern life has added a host of ear-damaging elements to the list, including some medications and plenty of sources of loud, continuous noise.
Advanced age is the most common cause of hearing loss. One out of three people aged 65-74 has some level of hearing loss. After age 75, that ratio goes up to one out of every two people.
Researchers don't fully understand why hearing decreases with age. It could be that lifetime exposure to noise and other damaging factors slowly wear down the ears' delicate mechanics. Genes also play a role.
Noise wears down hearing if it's loud or continuous. In some workplaces, ears are exposed to dangerous noise levels every day. To understand the impact of noise, consider this: 44% of carpenters and 48% of plumbers report some hearing loss. Other noisy lines of work include the military, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation.
Even musicians, who literally create music for our ears, are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Some now wear special earplugs to protect their ears when they perform. The earplugs allow them to hear music without harming their ears' inner workings.
Certain medications can impair hearing and/or balance. More than 200 medications and chemicals have a track record of triggering hearing and/or balance side effects in addition to their disease-fighting capabilities. These include some antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs, aspirin, loop diuretics, a drug used to treat malaria, and several drugs for erectile dysfunction.
Sudden hearing loss, the rapid loss of 30 decibels or more of hearing ability, can happen over several hours or days. (A normal conversation is 60 decibels.) In nine out of 10 cases, sudden hearing loss affects only one ear. Though there are about 4,000 new cases of sudden hearing loss a year, the cause can only be found in 10% to 15% of cases.
Certain illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, put ears at risk by interfering with the ears' blood supply. Otosclerosis is a bone disease of the middle ear and Ménière's disease affects the inner ear. Both can cause hearing loss.
Trauma, especially that which involves a skull fracture or punctured eardrum, puts ears at serious risk for hearing loss.
Infection or ear wax can block ear canals and reduce hearing.
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Digital Audio Networking Demystified
The OSI model helps bring order to the chaos of various digital audio network options.
Credit: Randall Fung/Corbis
Networking has been a source of frustration and confusion for pro AV professionals for decades. Fortunately, the International Organization of Standardization, more commonly referred to as ISO, created a framework in the early 1980s called the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model, a seven-layer framework that defines network functions, to help simplify matters.
Providing a common understanding of how to communicate to each layer, the OSI model (Fig. 1) is basically the foundation of what makes data networking work. Although it's not important for AV professionals to know the intricate details of each layer, it is vital to at least have a grasp of the purpose of each layer as well as general knowledge of the common protocols in each one. Let's take a look at the some key points.
The Seven Layers
Starting from the bottom up, the seven layers of the OSI Reference Model are Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application. The Physical layer is just that — the hardware's physical connection that describes its electrical characteristics. The Data Link layer is the logic connection, defining the type of network. For example, the Data Link layer defines whether or not it is an Ethernet or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network. There is also more than one data network transport protocol. The Data Link layer is divided into two sub-layers: the Media Access Control (MAC) and the Logical Link Control (above the MAC as you move up the OSI Reference Model).
The seven layers of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model for network functions.
Here is one concrete example of how the OSI model helps us understand networking technologies. Some people assume that any device with a CAT-5 cable connected to it is an Ethernet device. But it is Ethernet's Physical layer that defines an electrical specification and physical connection — CAT-5 terminated with an RJ-45 connector just happens to be one of them. For a technology to fully qualify as an Ethernet standard, it requires full implementation of both the Physical and Data Link layers.
The Network layer — the layer at which network routers operate — “packetizes” the data and provides routing information. The common protocol for this layer is the Internet Protocol (IP).
Layer four is the Transport layer. Keep in mind that this layer has a different meaning in the OSI Reference Model compared to how we use the term “transport” for moving audio around. The Transport layer provides protocols to determine the delivery method. The most popular layer four protocol is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Many discuss TCP/IP as one protocol, but actually they are two separate protocols on two different layers. TCP/IP is usually used as the data transport for file transfers or audio control applications.
Comparison of four digital audio technologies using the OSI model as a framework.
TCP provides a scheme where it sends an acknowledge message for each packet received by a sending device. If it senses that it is missing a packet of information, it will send a message back to the sender to resend. This feature is great for applications that are not time-dependent, but is not useful in real-time applications like audio and video.
Streaming media technologies most common on the Web use another method called User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which simply streams the packets. The sender never knows if it actually arrives or not. Professional audio applications have not used UDP because they are typically Physical layer or Data Link layer technologies — not Transport layer. However, a newcomer to professional audio networking, Australia-based Audinate, has recently become the first professional audio networking technology to use UDP/IP technology over Ethernet with its product called Dante.
The Session and Presentation layers are not commonly used in professional audio networks; therefore, they will not be covered in this article. Because these layers can be important to some integration projects, you may want to research the OSI model further to complete your understanding of this useful tool.
The purpose of the Application layer is to provide the interface tools that make networking useful. It is not used to move audio around the network. It controls, manages, and monitors audio devices on a network. Popular protocols are File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Telnet, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Domain Name System (DNS), and Virtual Private Network (VPN), to name just a few.
Now that you have a basic familiarity with the seven layers that make up the OSI model, let's dig a little deeper into the inner workings of a digital audio network.
Breaking Down Audio Networks
Audio networking can be broken into in two main concepts: control and transport. Configuring, monitoring, and actual device control all fall into the control category and use several standard communication protocols. Intuitively, getting digital audio from here to there is the role of transport.
Control applications can be found in standard protocols of the Application layer. Application layer protocols that are found in audio are Telnet, HTTP, and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Telnet is short for TELetype NETwork and was one of the first Internet protocols. Telnet provides command-line style communication to a machine. One example of Telnet usage in audio is the Peavey MediaMatrix, which uses this technology, known as RATC, as a way to control MediaMatrix devices remotely.
SNMP is a protocol for monitoring devices on a network. There are several professional audio and video manufacturers that support this protocol, which provides a method for managing the status or health of devices on a network. SNMP is a key technology in Network Operation Center (NOC) monitoring. It is an Application layer protocol that communicates to devices on the network through UDP/IP protocols, which can be communicated over a variety of data transport technologies.
Control systems can be manufacturer-specific, such as Harman Pro's HiQnet, QSC Audio's QSControl, or third party such as Crestron's CresNet, where the control software communicates to audio devices through TCP/IP. In many cases, TCP/IP-based control can run on the same network as the audio signal transport, and some technologies (such as CobraNet and Dante) are designed to allow data traffic to coexist with audio traffic.
The organizing and managing of audio bits is the job of the audio Transport. This is usually done by the audio protocol. Aviom, CobraNet, and EtherSound are protocols that organize bits for transport on the network. The transport can be divided into two categories: logical and physical.
Purely physical layer technologies, such as Aviom, use hardware to organize and move digital bits. More often than not, a proprietary chip is used to organize and manage them. Ethernet-based technologies packetize the audio and send it to the Data Link and Physical layers to be transported on Ethernet devices. Ethernet is both a logical and physical technology that packetizes or “frames” the audio in the Data Link layer and sends it to the Physical layer to be moved to another device on the network. Ethernet's Physical layer also has a Physical layer chip, referred to as the PHY chip, which can be purchased from several manufacturers.
Comparing Digital Audio Systems
The more familiar you are with the OSI model, the easier it will be to understand the similarities and differences of the various digital audio systems. For many people, there is a tendency to gloss over the OSI model and just talk about networking-branded protocols. However, understanding the OSI model will bring clarity to your understanding of digital audio networking (Fig. 2).
Due to the integration of pro AV systems, true networking schemes are vitally important. A distinction must be made between audio networking and digital audio transports. Audio networks are defined as those meeting the commonly used standard protocols, where at least the Physical and Data Link layer technologies and standard network appliances (such as hubs and switches) can be used. There are several technologies that meet this requirement using IEEE 1394 (Firewire), Ethernet, and ATM technologies, to name a few. However, because Ethernet is widely deployed in applications ranging from large enterprises to the home, this will be the technology of focus. All other technologies that do not meet this definition will be considered digital audio transport systems, and not a digital audio network.
There are at least 15 schemes for digital audio transport systems and audio networking. Three of the four technologies presented here have been selected because of their wide acceptance in the industry based on the number of manufacturers that support it.
Let's compare four CAT-5/Ethernet technologies: Aviom, EtherSound, CobraNet, and Dante. This is not to be considered a “shoot-out” between technologies but rather a discussion to gain understanding of some of the many digital system options available to the AV professional.
As previously noted, Aviom is a Physical layer–only technology based on the classifications outlined above. It does use an Ethernet PHY chip, but doesn't meet the electrical characteristics of Ethernet. Therefore, it cannot be connected to standard Ethernet hubs or switches. Aviom uses a proprietary chip to organize multiple channels of audio bits to be transported throughout a system, and it falls in the classification of a digital audio transport system.
EtherSound and CobraNet are both 802.3 Ethernet– compliant technologies that can be used on standard data Ethernet switches. There is some debate as to whether EtherSound technology can be considered a true Ethernet technology because it requires a dedicated network. EtherSound uses a proprietary scheme for network control, and CobraNet uses standard data networking methods. The key difference for both the AV and data professional is that EtherSound uses a dedicated network, and CobraNet does not. There are other differences that may be considered before choosing between CobraNet and EtherSound, but both are considered to be layer two (Data Link) technologies.
Dante uses Ethernet, but it is considered a layer four technology (Transport). It uses UDP for audio transport and IP for audio routing on an Ethernet transport, commonly referred to as UDP/IP over Ethernet.
At this point you may be asking yourself why does the audio industry have so many technologies? Why can't there be one standard like there is in the data industry?
The answer to the first question relates to time. Audio requires synchronous delivery of bits. Early Ethernet networks weren't much concerned with time. Ethernet is asynchronous, meaning there isn't a concern when and how data arrives as long as it gets there. Therefore, to put digital audio on a data network requires a way to add a timing mechanism. Time is an issue in another sense, in that your options depend on technology or market knowledge available at the time when you develop your solution. When and how you develop your solution leads to the question of a single industry standard.
Many people don't realize that the data industry does in fact have more than one standard: Ethernet, ATM, FiberChannel, and SONET. Each layer of the OSI model has numerous protocols for different purposes. The key is that developers follow the OSI model as a framework for network functions and rules for communicating between them. If the developer wants to use Ethernet, he or she is required to have this technology follow the rules for communicating to the Data Link layer, as required by the Ethernet standard.
Because one of the key issues for audio involves time, it's important to use it wisely.
There are two types of time that we need to be concerned with in networking: clock time and latency. Clock time in this context is a timing mechanism that is broken down into measurable units, such as milliseconds. In digital audio systems, latency is the time duration between when audio or a bit of audio goes into a system until the bit comes out the other side. Latency has many causes, but arguably the root cause in audio networks is the design of its timing mechanism. In addition, there is a tradeoff between the timing method and bandwidth. A general rule of thumb is that as the resolution of the timing mechanism increases, the more bandwidth that's required from the network.
Ethernet, being an asynchronous technology, requires a timing method to be added to support the synchronous nature of audio. The concepts and methodology of clocking networks for audio are key differences among the various technologies.
CobraNet uses a time mechanism called a beat packet. This packet is sent out in 1.33 millisecond intervals and communicates with CobraNet devices. Therefore, the latency of a CobraNet audio network can't be less than 1.33 milliseconds. CobraNet was introduced in 1995 when large-scale DSP-based digital systems started replacing analog designs in the market. Because the “sound system in a box” was new, there was great scrutiny of these systems. A delay or latency in some time-critical applications was noticed, considered to be a challenge of using digital systems. However, many believe that latency is an overly exaggerated issue in most applications where digital audio systems are deployed. In fact, this topic could be an article unto itself.
A little history of digital systems and networking will provide some insight on the reason why there are several networking technologies available today. In the late '90s, there were two “critical” concerns in the digital audio industry: Year of 2000 compliance (Y2K) and latency. To many audio pros, using audio networks like CobraNet seemed impossible because of the delay —at that time, approximately 5 milliseconds, or in video terms, less time than a frame of video.
Enter EtherSound, introduced in 2001, which addressed the issue of latency by providing an Ethernet networking scheme with low latency and better bit-depth and higher sampling rate than CobraNet. The market timing and concern over latency gave EtherSound an excellent entry point. But since reducing latency down to 124 microseconds limits available bandwidth for data traffic, a dedicated network is required for a 100-MB EtherSound network. Later, to meet the market demands of lower latency requirements, CobraNet introduced variable latency, with 1.33 milliseconds being the minimum. With the Ethernet technologies discussion thus far, there is a relationship between the bit-depth and sample rate to the clocking system.
Audio is not the only industry with a need for real-time clocking schemes. Communications, military, and industrial applications also require multiple devices to be connected together on a network and function in real-time. A group was formed from these markets, and they took on the issue of real-time clocking while leveraging the widely deployed Ethernet technology. The outcome was the IEEE 1588 standard for a real-time clocking system for Ethernet networks in 2002.
As a late entry to the networking party, Audinate's Dante comes to the market with the advantage of using new technologies like IEEE 1588 to solve many of the current challenges in networking audio. Using this clocking technology in Ethernet allows Dante to provide sample accurate timing and synchronization while achieving latency as low as 34 microseconds. Coming to the market later also has the benefit of Gigabit networking being widely supported, which provides the increased bandwidth requirement of ultra-low latency. It should be noted here that EtherSound does have a Gigabit version, and CobraNet does work on Gigabit infrastructure with added benefits but it is currently a Fast Ethernet technology.
Dante provides a flexible solution to many of the current tradeoffs that require one system on another due to design requirements of latency verses bandwidth, because Dante can support different latency, bit depth, and sample rates in the same system. For example, this allows a user to provide a low-latency, higher bandwidth assignment to in-ear monitoring while at the same time use a higher latency assignment in areas where latency is less of a concern (such as front of house), thereby reducing the overall network bandwidth requirement.
The developers of CobraNet and Dante are both working toward advancing software so that AV professionals and end-users can configure, route audio, and manage audio devices on a network. The goal is to make audio networks “plug-and-play” for those that don't want to know anything about networking technologies. One of the advances to note is called “device discovery,” where the software finds all of the audio devices on the network so you don't have to configure them in advance. The software also has advance features for those who want to dive into the details of their audio system.
Advances in digital audio systems and networking technologies will continue to change to meet market applications and their specific requirements. Aviom's initial focus was to create a personal monitoring system, and it developed a digital audio transport to better serve this application. Aviom's low-latency transport provided a solution to the market that made it the perfect transport for many live applications. CobraNet provides the AV professional with a solution to integrate audio, video, and data systems on an enterprise switched network. EtherSound came to the market by providing a low-latency audio transport using standard Ethernet 802.3 technology. Dante comes to the market after significant change and growth and Gigabit networking and new technologies like IEEE 1588 to solve many of challenges of using Ethernet in real-time systems.
Networking audio and video can seem chaotic, but gaining an understanding of the OSI model helps bring order to the chaos. It not only provides an understanding of the various types of technology, but it also provides a common language to communicate for both AV and data professionals. Keeping it simple by using the OSI model as the foundation and breaking audio networking down into two functional parts (control and transport) will help you determine which networking technology will best suit your particular application.
Brent Harshbarger is the founder of m3tools located in Atlanta. He can be reached at email@example.com.
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With the hope of encouraging Pennsylvanians to better understand their personal finances, Governor Tom Corbett has declared April to be “Financial Education Month” in the state.
The administration believes a basic financial education is essential to ensuring that Pennsylvanians of all ages are prepared to manage money, credit, investments, and debt.
Pennsylvania Department of Banking is looking to both celebrate and draw attention to public and private education efforts. “One of our goals is to empower people. In the run up to the economic downturn, we saw a lot of very hardworking people make poor decisions with credit cards, mortgage financing, and home purchases,” said Department of Banking spokesperson Ed Novak.
The governor believes in order for Pennsylvanians to fully recover from the economic slide, they need to be responsible for better educating themselves. “It’s clear to us that as a starting point for getting ourselves out of this economic downturn, Pennsylvanians need to increase their financial literacy to help them navigate what is becoming an increasingly complex financial marketplace,” said Novak.
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- Types of home dialysis
- Daily HHD
- Nocturnal HHD
- Standard HHD
- News & events
- Message boards
- For professionals
- About us
...everything you need to know about doing dialysis at home.
Here we present a chronological tour of dialysis from the beginning.
All photos by Jim Curtis; descriptions courtesy of Baxter.
The first practical artificial kidney was developed during World War II by the Dutch physician Willem Kolff. The Kolff kidney used a 20-meter long tube of cellophane sausage casing as a dialyzing membrane. The tube was wrapped around a slatted wooden drum. Powered by an electric motor, the drum revolved in a tank filled with dialyzing solution. The patient’s blood was drawn through the cellophane tubing by gravity as the drum revolved. Toxic molecules in the blood diffused through the tubing into the dialyzing solution. Complete dialysis took about six hours. The Kolff kidney effectively removed toxins from the blood, but because it operated at low pressure, it was unable to remove excess fluid from the patient’s blood. Modern dialysis machines are designed to filter out excess fluid while cleansing the blood of wastes.
Blood was drained from the patient into a sterile container. Anticlotting drugs were added, and the filled container was hung on a post above the artificial kidney and connected to the cellulose acetate tubing that was wound around the wooden drum. A motor turned the drum, pulling the blood through the tubing by gravity.
The tank underneath the drum was filled with dialyzing fluid. As the blood-filled tubing passed through this fluid, waste products from the blood diffused through the tubing into the dialyzing fluid. The cleansed blood collected in a second sterile container at the other end of the machine. When all of the blood had passed through the machine, this second container was raised to drain the blood back into the patient.
George Thorn, MD, of the Peter Bent Hospital in Boston, MA, invited Willem Kolff, MD, to meet with Carl Walters, MD, and John Merrill, MD, to redesign and modify the original Kolff Rotating Drum Kidney. The artificial kidney was to be used to support the first proposed transplant program in the United States. This device was built by Edward Olson, an engineer, who would produce over forty of these devices, which were shipped all over the world.
Cellulose acetate tubular membrane, the same type of membrane that is used as sausage casing, was wrapped around the drum and connected to latex tubing that would be attached to the patient’s bloodstream. The drum would be rotating in the dialyzing fluid bath that is located under the drum.
The patient’s blood was propelled through the device by the “Archimedes screw principle” and a pulsatile pump. A split coupling was developed to connect the tubing to the membrane, a component necessary to prevent the tubing and membrane from twisting. This connection is at the inlet and outlet of the rotating drum.
The membrane surface area could be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the number of wraps of tubing. The Plexiglas™ hood was designed to control the temperature of the blood. The cost of this device was $5,600 in 1950.
Murphy WP Jr., Swan RC Jr., Walter CW, Weller JM, Merrill JP. Use of an artificial kidney. III. Current procedures in clinical hemodialysis. J Lab Clin Med. 1952 Sep; 40(3): 436-44.
Leonard Skeggs, PhD, and Jack Leonards, MD, developed the first parallel flow artificial kidney at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, OH. The artificial kidney was designed to have a low resistance to blood flow and to have an adjustable surface area.
Two sheets of membrane are sandwiched between two rubber pads in order to reduce the blood volume and to ensure uniform distribution of blood across the membrane to maximize efficiency. Multiple layers were utilized. The device required a great deal of time to construct and it often leaked. This was corrected by the use of bone wax to stop the leak.
The device had a very low resistance to blood flow and it could be used without a blood pump. If more than one of these units were used at a time, a blood pump was required. Skeggs was able to remove water from the blood in the artificial kidney by creating a siphon on the effluent of the dialyzing fluid. This appears to be the first reference to negative pressure dialysis.
This technology was later adapted by Leonard Skeggs to do blood chemistries. It was called the SMA 12-60 Autoanalyzer.
This artificial kidney was developed to reduce the amount of blood outside of the body and to eliminate the need for pumping the blood through the device.
Guarino used cellulose acetate tubing. The dialyzing fluid was directed inside the tubing and the blood, entering the device from the top, cascading down the membrane. The metal tubing inside the membrane gave support to the membrane.
The artificial kidney ahd a very low blood volume, but it had limited use because there was concern regarding the possibility of the dialyzing fluid leaking into the blood.
Von Garrelts had constructed a dialyzer in 1948 by wrapping a cellulose acetate membrane around a core. The layers of membrane were separated by rods. It was very bulky and weighed over 100 pounds.
William Inouye, MD, took this concept and miniaturized it by wrapping the cellulose acetate tubing around a beaker and separating the layers with fiberglass screening. He placed this “coil” in a Presto Pressure Cooker in order to enclose it and control the temperature. In addition, he made openings in the pot for the dialyzing fluid. With the use of a vacuum on the dialysate leaving the pot, he was able to draw the excess water out of the patient’s blood. A blood pump was required to overcome resistance within the device.
This device was used clinically and when it was used in a closed circuit, the exact amount of fluid removed could be determined.
Inouye WY, Engelberg J. A simplified artificial dialyzer and ultrafilter. Surg Forum. Proceedings of the Forum Sessions, Thirty-ninth Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois, October, 1953; 4: 438-42.
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Don't feel like exercise? Scientists find compound that may help you work out harderJune 12th, 2012 in Medical research /
As science rushes to develop safe weight loss drugs, a new research report approaches this problem from an entirely new angle: What if there were a pill that would make you want to exercise harder? It may sound strange, but a new research report appearing online in The FASEB Journal suggests that it might be possible.
That's because a team of Swiss researchers found that when a hormone in the brain, erythropoietin (Epo), was elevated in mice, they were more motivated to exercise. In addition, the form of erythropoietin used in these experiments did not elevate red blood cell counts. Such a treatment has obvious benefits for a wide range of health problems ranging from Alzheimer's to obesity, including mental health disorders for which increased physical activity is known to improve symptoms.
"Here we show that Epo increases the motivation to exercise," said Max Gassmann, D.V.M., a researcher involved in the work from the Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse-Faculty and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. "Most probably, Epo has a general effect on a person's mood and might be used in patients suffering from depression and related diseases."
To make this discovery, Gassmann and colleagues used three types of mice: those that received no treatment, those that were injected with human Epo, and those that were genetically modified to produce human Epo in the brain. Compared to the mice that did not have any increase in Epo, both mouse groups harboring human Epo in the brain showed significantly higher running performance without increases in red blood cells.
"If you can't put exercise in a pill, then maybe you can put the motivation to exercise in a pill instead," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "As more and more people become overweight and obese, we must attack the problem from all angles. Maybe the day will come when gyms are as easily found as fast food restaurants."
More information: Beat Schuler, Johannes Vogel, Beat Grenacher, Robert A. Jacobs, Margarete Arras, and Max Gassmann. Acute and chronic elevation of erythropoietin in the brain improves exercise performance in mice without inducing erythropoiesis. FASEB J. doi:10.1096/fj.11-191197
Provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
"Don't feel like exercise? Scientists find compound that may help you work out harder." June 12th, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-dont-scientists-compound-harder.html
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Prizes and Celebrations in Brazil
UNESCO Brasilia Office usually promotes national events in partnership with various organizations to celebrate the International Days, Years and Decades proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in order to mark important aspects of human life and history. The Office and its partners also promote national or international prizes in the areas of UNESCO mandate.
List of Prizes, Celebrations and Campaigns
Originally called MERCOSUR Prize for Young Researchers, the Award was created by the Specialized Meeting on Science and Technology of MERCOSUR - RECyT in 1998. Since the 2004 Call, the Award has had the partnership of UNESCO and has changed its title to MERCOSUR Science and Technology Award, comprising two categories: “Young Researchers”, up to 35 years old, and “Integration”, for a team of researchers with no limit of age, involving at least two member countries.
The annual context is organized by UNESCO in Brazil and partnerships in celebration of the World Science Day for Peace and Development, established by the United Nations in 2001 and celebrated every year on November 10. Each year, the context has an specific theme. All secondary education students in Brazil can participate in the context by sending their written works and/or drawings on the theme.
09.04.12 UNESCO International Prizes
UNESCO promotes international prizes to reward international outstanding efforts made in the themes of UNESCO's mandate: Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture, Communication and Information, and Peace.
09.04.12 United Nations International Days
The United Nations General Assembly designates a number of "International Days" to mark important aspects of human life and history. UNESCO, in particular, observes the following:
09.04.12 United Nations International Years
UNESCO participates in the celebration of the following International Years proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations:
09.04.12 United Nations International Decades
UNESCO participates in the celebration of the following International Decades proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations:
UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, has designated the Brazilian Dominican friar Frei Betto as laureate of the 2013 UNESCO/José Martí Prize for his exceptional contribution to building a universal culture of peace, social justice and human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean.
UNESCO Brasilia Office Director, Lucien Muñoz, sent a letter to the Brazilian Dominican friar, Frei Betto, congratulating him for receiving the José Martí 2013 Award for his decisive contribution to a culture of peace, justice and respect to human rights in Latin America.
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By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Published: November 21, 2006
THE CLAIM -- Pricking a stroke victim's fingers can help delay symptoms.
THE FACTS -- A recent, widely circulated e-mail message proposes an unusual way to help the victim of a stroke. ''Help the victim sit up to prevent him from falling over,'' the message states. ''Then sterilize a needle and use it to prick the tip of the person's finger. After a few minutes, the victim should regain consciousness.''
The message says that doing this somehow relieves blood pressure and eases symptoms.
Like most medical advice dispensed in the form of a chain e-mail message, it has no scientific basis. In fact, following its advice can do harm.
Forcing a stroke victim to sit up is never a good idea, because it can cause a drop in blood pressure, says Dr. Larry B. Goldstein, director of the Duke Stroke Center.
It would be better to help the person lie down.
Pricking the victim's finger is also a bad idea, not only because it is futile, but because doing so can delay medical treatment, which is the only thing that can help.
THE BOTTOM LINE -- Only emergency medical treatment can help a stroke victim. ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Drawing (Drawing by Leif Parsons)
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Certain lifestyle factors greatly increase your risk of contracting HIV infection and developing AIDS. By avoiding behaviors that are associated with increasing your risk, you can greatly reduce your risk.
Risk factors include:
Having Unprotected Sex
Most people become infected with HIV through sexual activity. You can contract AIDS by not using a condom when having sexual relations with a person infected with HIV. Not using condoms properly can also put you at increased risk for acquiring HIV infection. During sex, the vagina, vulva, penis, rectum, and mouth can provide entry points for the virus.
Other risky behaviors include having:
- Sex with someone without knowing his or her HIV status
- More than one sex partner
- Sex with someone who has more than one sexual partner
- Anal intercourse
Men who have sex with other men may be at a higher risk of being infected with HIV. Having unprotected sex and using drugs (eg, methamphetamines) during sex can increase this risk. Women who engage in risky behaviors and have both male and female partners may also be at a greater risk.
If you inject illegal drugs, this increases your risk of becoming infected with HIV. Using a needle or syringe that contains even a small amount of infected blood can transmit HIV infection.
Having Certain Medical Conditions
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and vaginal infections caused by bacteria tend to increase the risk of HIV transmission during sex with an HIV-infected partner. Examples of STDs include:
For men, not being circumcised can also increase the risk of getting HIV infection.
Having Certain Medical Procedures
Having a blood transfusion or receiving blood products before 1985 increases your risk of HIV infection and AIDS. Before blood banks began testing donated blood for HIV in 1985, there was no way of knowing if the blood was contaminated with HIV, and recipients could become infected through transfusions.
Receiving blood products, tissue or organ transplantation, or artificial insemination increases your risk of HIV infection and AIDS. Even though blood products are now screened for HIV, there is still some degree of risk because tests cannot detect HIV immediately after transmission.
Being a Healthcare Worker
Exposure to contaminated blood and needles puts healthcare workers at risk for HIV.
- Reviewer: Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD
- Review Date: 12/2011 -
- Update Date: 12/30/2011 -
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Dying Suddenly - Sudden Cardiac Death
People at Risk
- Individuals who have coronary artery disease, especially those who have suffered myocardial infarctions ("heart attacks") in the past
- Individuals who have congestive heart failure of any cause
- Individuals with intrinsic heart muscle disease such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
- Individuals with family history of heart muscle disease and SCD
- Individuals with syncope of unknown cause
- Individuals who abuse cocaine or heroin
Coronary artery disease is the underlying heart disease in 70 to 90% of individuals who succumb to SCD. Although many episodes of SCD are called "heart attacks," most of them, in fact, do not represent new myocardial infarctions. The arrhythmias that occur originate in previously damaged regions of the heart, and no new heart damage is necessary to start the arrhythmias.
Patients with congestive heart failure are at high risk of SCD. As left ventricular ejection fraction falls, the risk of SCD increases regardless of the underlying cause of the heart disease. Ironically, CHF patients who receive certain types of antiarrhythmic drugs are particularly prone to suffer proarrhythmic side effects of the medications because of interactions between the medications and the diseased tissue. Some non-antiarrhythmic medications, the beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, have been shown to decrease the risk of SCD in CHF patients, but the degree of risk is still much higher than that of a normal healthy person.
SCD is frequently seen in individuals with heart diseases where the primary problem lies with the heart muscle cells themselves; these diseases are called cardiomyopathies. Different cardiomyopathies are caused by different cellular defects, but most of the cardiomyopathies are associated at one time or another with congestive heart failure and the formation of scar tissue in the ventricles. Since many cardiomyopathies are genetically transmitted, individuals in families that exhibit cardiomyopathy who have family members that have died suddenly appear to be more prone to SCD than those without a family history of SCD.
Syncope is spontaneous loss of consciousness. Since arrhythmias may cause syncope and may also be the first and only manifestation of heart disease, thorough cardiac evaluation following an episode of syncope is very important. Although the most common causes of syncope are relatively benign, "aborted" SCD should be considered as a possible cause of syncope, especially in a patient who has not been evaluated. If no heart disease is found after thorough evaluation and the history suggests a simple drop in blood pressure in the absence of arrhythmias, one can be reassured that the likelihood of life-threatening disease is low.
Many drugs have been associated with serious arrhythmias. Antiarrhythmic medications, when administered to patients with heart disease, can have proarrhythmic effects as noted above. Cocaine has been noted to cause spasm of the coronary arteries and, in large repeated doses, to have a direct toxic effect on the heart muscle. The cocaine-induced cardiomyopathy shows the same tendency toward arrhythmias as other cardiomyopathies. In addition, cocaine increases adrenaline and catecholamine levels in the bloodstream that further stresses the heart and exacerbates the tendency toward arrhythmias.
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To be sustainable, old cities need new, smarter infrastructures, says HP Labs sustainability visionary Chandrakant Patel
Since arriving at HP Labs in 1991, HP Fellow and director of HP’s Sustainable IT Ecosystem Lab Chandrakant Patel has worked to make IT systems more energy efficient. His early research in microprocessor system design led Patel to pioneer the concept of ‘smart data centers’ – data centers in which compute, power and cooling resources are provisioned based on the need. He now extends his vision of energy efficiency beyond the data center to what he calls ‘City 2.0.’
As nations look to rebuild their aging infrastructures and at the same time take on the challenge of global climate change, Patel argues that resource usage needs to be at the heart of their thinking. And, we must take a fundamental perspective in examining “available energy” in building and operating the infrastructure. Only if we use fewer resources to both build and run our infrastructures, he says, will we create cities that can thrive for generations to come. And we can only build in that way, he suggests, if we seamlessly integrate IT into the physical infrastructure to provision the resources – power, water, waste, etc - at city scale based on the need
Chandrakant Patel recently described his vision of building City 2.0, enabled by a Sustainable IT Ecosystem.
So you started out by addressing energy use in the data center?
That’s right. When we created the Thermal Technology Research Program at HP Labs in the early 90s, our industry was not addressing power and cooling in the data center at all. But we thought the data center should be looked at as a system. And if you look at it that way, there are three key components to the data center: computing, power, and cooling. We felt all of these should be provisioned based on need. Just as you dedicate the right computing instrument to the workload, you supply the power and cooling on an as-needed basis. You use sensors and controls, so that when workload comes in, you decide what kind of workload it is and give it the right level of compute, power, and cooling.
What kind of impact does this have on energy use?
Well, we built a “smart” data center in Palo Alto and a large data center in Southern India as a proof of concept. In the data center in Southern India, we used 7,500 sensors to record the temperature of its various parts, which feed back to a system that automatically controls all the air conditioners. In addition to saving 40% in energy used by the cooling system, the fine grained sensing allowed us to dynamically place workloads and shut machines down that are not being used.
Furthermore, with 7500 sensors polling every few seconds, we are able to mine sensor data to detect “anomalies” so we can extend the life of large scale physical systems such as compressors in the cooling plant. This type of sensing and control is critical for large scale physical installations. One wouldn’t run a house without a thermostat, so why should one run a multi-megawatt data center without fine grained measurement and control? A ceiling fan in a house uses a few hundred watts, and it has a knob so one can change its speed based on the need.
The blowers in air handling units inside a data center use10 kilowatts, and are often running at full speed all the time regardless of the data center’s needs!
How do you apply this kind of approach over the entire IT ecosystem?
First, you need to ask: what is the ecosystem? The world has billions of service-oriented client devices, like our laptops and handhelds. Then it has thousands of data centers, and thousands of print factories. That’s the ecosystem. Then you need to ask if that ecosystem is as energy efficient as it can be. To do that we take a life cycle approach. We look at the energy it takes to build and operate IT products over their life-cycle. If you do that, you can see that you might design, build and operate them in completely different ways – through appropriate choice of energy conversion means and appropriate choice of materials - ultimately leading to least energy, least material designs. Indeed, we believe that taking such an “end to end” view in design and management is required to reduce the cost of IT services that will enable the billions to use IT ecosystem to meet their needs.
Can you give an example?
Take a laptop as an example.
How much energy is required to build a laptop - to extract the material, to manufacture it, operate it and ultimately reclaim it? Using Joules of available energy consumed as the currency, one can examine the supply chain and design the laptop with appropriate choice of materials to minimize the consumption of available energy. Such a technique also allows one to examine the carbon emission across a product life cycle. This type of proactive approach is good for the environment and good for business. Good for business because, in our opinion, such an approach will lead to lowest-cost products and services.
Is there an impact on IT services too?
Absolutely. Today, I can reserve train tickets online for rail travel in India from my home in the US. But most of the 700 million people in India must take a motorized rickshaw to the train station, and spend half a day, to get the ticket. They can ill afford to spend the time. Couldn't we give them appropriately priced IT services so they can do it online? That's what Web 2.0 is about for me -- meeting the fundamental needs of a society. Furthermore, these kinds of services would reduce congestion and reduce consumption of available energy. We can ask - and we need to ask - the same kinds of questions when we are talking about bringing people all kinds of resources more effectively.
How do you get the information you need to make decisions based on energy used over the life of a product?
Firstly, at design time, the IT ecosystem enables us to create a tool for analysis based on scientific principles rather than anecdotes and rules of thumb. Secondly, the IT ecosystem provides us the ability to avail energy and material data for lifecycle analysis in design phase e.g. the available energy used in extracting Aluminum from Bauxite. Next, during operation, you use sensors and controls to manage your resources. Take traffic flow in a city. All you need to manage it is a backbone, the sensors, the data center and a panel where you can collect all that information and manage it. With that we can manage the flow so that available energy is being provisioned based on the need. You can do the same with electricity, water, waste, etc. Thus, you are using the IT ecosystem to have a net positive impact by deconstructing conventional business models – you're creating a sustainable ecosystem using IT.
Is that what you mean by the City 2.0 ?
Yes. We started the Sustainable IT Ecosystem Lab at HP Labs because we wanted to integrate the IT ecosystem into the next generation of cities - what I've called City 2.0. If you had to build a city all over again, how would you build it? Are you going to just build a city with more roads, more bridges? Or are you going to use the IT ecosystem so that more people can use less of those physical resources more effectively? Wouldn't you think it would be better if a data center was there, and it managed all the resources? Wouldn't it be better to harvest the rain that falls in the area and have a lot of local reservoirs? Wouldn't it be good to have a local power grid instead of bringing power from somewhere else? Those are the kinds of questions that we are wrestling with.
How can HP contribute to building the City 2.0?
HP has the breadth and the depth – the billions of service-oriented client devices, the thousands of data centers and the thousands of print factories. HP covers all aspects of the IT ecosystem. And we have a great history in measurement, communication, and computation. What I’d like to see us do is leverage the past to create the future. A future where we address the fundamental needs of society by right provisioning the resources so that future generations can have the same quality of life as we do.
The US and many other countries are in recession. Building the City 2.0 is an expensive proposition, so why is it worth doing?
First of all, I think building a smart infrastructure could revitalize our economy by providing businesses with the opportunity to apply their new technologies for solving age-old problems like water distribution and energy management. And secondly, if governments around the world are going to spend on infrastructure, we probably want to do it in a smart way: not just building things for the sake of building them. We can - and should - do it in a planned, sustainable way where we also create new, high-paying and long-lasting jobs.
More information about HP Labs is available at: www.hpl.hp.com/about/
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Long Term Player Development
What is LTPD?
Long Term Player Development (LTPD) is a systemic approach being developed and adopted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association to maximize a participant's potential and involvement in our sport. The LTPD framework aims to define optimal training, competition and recovery throughout an athlete's career to enable him / her to reach his / her full potential in golf and as an athlete. Tailoring a child's sports development program to suit basic principles of growth and maturation, especially during the 'critical' early years of their development, enables him / her to:
- Reach full potential
- Increase lifelong participation in golf and other physical activities
The LTPD model is split into stages in which a player will move from simple to more complex skills and from general to golf related skills. For example, a beginner may start by learning basic swinging actions and then once this has been mastered he / she will progress onto more advanced skills.
This framework will set out recommended training sequences and skills developments for the participant from the Active Start stage (6 and under) to the Active for Live Stage (adult recreational). It will address the physical, mental, emotional and technical needs of the athlete as they pass through each stage of development.
Where has it come from?
A combination of recent research and the knowledge of coaches from around the world are being used to write the LTPD model. The program will be sport-science supported and based on the best data and research available. Our work will be based on the work of Canadian sport scientists, such as Istvan Bayyi, and focuses on key, common principles of individual development, which many sports organizations consider good practice in long-term planning for athletes.
Many leading sports stars have also attributed part of their success to participating in different sports and activities at a young age by giving them a wider base of sports skills. Our goal will be to develop our players to their maximum potential by training and enhancing all the athletic skills that contribute to their success.
What will this mean for your child?
During your child's first few years of golf, the emphasis will be on physical literacy. Time should be spent learning the ABC's of athleticism (Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed) to teach them how to control his / her own bodies. For this reason, your child may take part in exercises that do not look relevant to golf but are supporting their development. Games and other sports will teach your child to throw the ball (basic hitting actions), catch it (hand-eye coordination), and run properly. At each stage the child will be trained in the optimal systems and programs to maximize his / her potential as a golfer and as a long-term participant in sport.
What has this got to do with golf?
It is thought that taking part in golf-specific training too early can lead to an early drop out rate, create muscle imbalances and also neglect teaching the fundamental skills needed for most sports. In fact, research shows that early specialization in most late maturing sports results in these outcomes.
Research has also shown that it is during childhood that people are best at learning physical skills. For this reason we are advising coaches and parents to teach transferable skills first that will allow your child to become proficient in a number of different sports and therefore increase their chances of being physically active throughout their lifetime.
Who else is using LTPD?
The Council of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for Sport have endorsed and established the goal of the implementation of a Long Term Athlete Development program throughout the sport community in Canada. Sport Canada has been working with National Sport Organizations to development sport-specific programs according to an overall framework established by an expert group of sport scientists.
To date, over 57 sports in Canada have started the process of designing and putting into place LTAD programs. There has been a sharing of best practices among resource personnel and National bodies and the overall program is gaining momentum.
Golf Canada is in the second wave of sports to start the LTPD process and is following closely the work of such groups as Rowing Canada, Athletics Canada, Speedskating Canada and Soccer to create the best opportunities for all children.
Various national sporting groups in the UK and Ireland are approximately 18 months ahead of their Canadian counterparts in the development of LTPD programs and we are using their experiences and best practices in process development to ensure we have the most comprehensive and effective system possible.
Where will Golf's LTPD model come from?
We will be consulting with a wide range of coaches, sports scientists and experienced volunteers from across Canada to represent the views of the whole golf community. Their knowledge and expertise will be used as input to form the LTPD framework for golf in Canada. We will be assisted in this process by the LTPD Resource paper and research of the expert group, in particular Stephen Norris (see www.ltad.ca for resource paper).
In developing this model and framework, Golf Canada is currently in the process of reviewing our programs in line with LTPD principles. Our competition program, coach education system, elite play structure and development initiatives will all evolve to be consistent with the principles established within this underpinning model.
One of the principles to be adopted will be a continuous improvement regime where the system will be benchmarked against the most current developmental principles and upgraded regularly. It will be a living document that provides a planning framework to enable us to always deliver the most appropriate training.
Golf Canada LTPD resources
Golf Canada will continually update this section to provide access to the most current materials and programs as they are developed.
We will add a range of LTPD resources designed to help all Coaches, Teachers, Players and Parents understand the stages that each player goes through and also the training principles and activities at each stage.
Please click here to download complete LTPD Guide (2.13 MB)
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The Racial Geography of the Federal Death Penalty
Scholars have devoted substantial attention to both the overrepresentation of black defendants on federal death row and the disproportionate number of federal defendants charged capitally for the murder of white victims. This attention has not explained (much less resolved) these disquieting racial disparities. Little research has addressed the unusual geography of the federal death penalty, in which a small number of jurisdictions are responsible for the vast majority of federal death sentences. By addressing the unique geography, we identify a possible explanation for the racial distortions in the federal death penalty: that federal death sentences are sought disproportionately where the expansion of the venire from the county to the district level has a dramatic demographic impact on the racial make-up of the jury. This inquiry demonstrates that the conversation concerning who should make up the jury of twelve neighbors and peers - a discussion begun well before the founding of our Constitution - continues to have relevance today. This Article documents the historical and racial relationships between place and the ability to seat an impartial jury. We then discuss the unique impact demographic shifts in the jury pool have on death penalty decision making. Finally, we propose three possible solutions: (1) a simple, democracyenhancing fix through a return to the historical conception of the county as the place of vicinage in federal capital trials; (2) a Batson-type three-step process for rooting out the influence of race on the decision to prosecute federally; and/or (3) voluntary measures by the Attorney General to mask demographic and location identifiers when deciding whether to provide federal death-authorization. We explain why a return to county-level jury pools in federal capital cases (whether through statutory construction, legislative change, or through the authority of a fair-minded Attorney General) prospectively limits the impact of race on the operation of the federal death penalty, without establishing the intractability of the federal death penalty as a whole. Finally, we observe that any effort to study the federal death penalty cannot merely address those federal cases in which the Attorney General has considered whether to approve an effort to seek the death penalty, but must also include an assessment of the cases prosecuted in state court that could be prosecuted federally and the prosecutorial decision concerning when and whether to prosecute in federal court.
Robert J. Smith and G. Ben Cohen. "The Racial Geography of the Federal Death Penalty" Washington Law Review (2010).
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Write a program that uses a loop to display the characters for each ASCII code 32 through 127. Display 16 characters on each line with one space between characters.
We are using the Starting out with C++ Early Objects 6th edition. I really don't know how to start this program, I'm not sure if it wants me to display ever character, or if I have to do get the user to input numbers and give me the characters that it should be or the other way around. If you can please help me that would be great.
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Student Health Checklist
Being a college student warrants a quick health check in order for you to remain healthy all school year. By following a few simple strategies, you can “rock on” in school, work and your social life.
Get involved in regular cardio exercise
for 30 minutes five times a week such as walking, swimming, running or any other activity that increases your heart rate.
De-stress by deep breathing and stretching exercises
two to three times a week. Spring for a DVD of yoga or get involved in a yoga class.
Get plenty of sleep!
This is very important in every aspect of your life!! As a college student, it is recommended that you log six to eight hours per night.
Take time out every half hour to stretch, walk around, or deep breathe if you are working at a computer.
Drink plenty of water.
Dehydration can make you more vulnerable to illness and infections, therefore, it is important that you down plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. And if water isn’t your thing, juice, tea, and other beverages will work as well.
Utilizing your BFFs.
Having the right friends and someone to talk to and count on is extremely important for your mental health. Seek out groups and activities that will attract new friends who will be supportive of you and vice versa
Eat your fruits and veggies.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure that half of your plate is filled with fruits and vegetables as these foods are bursting with nutrients that help keep infection and diseases at bay.
Fight the flu.
Get a flu shot to avoid being laid up this year for a week with fever and sickness. This vaccine is made available to each residential student and all Gallia County students in mid- October here at URG. Being a college student, you often are in close quarters with roomies and classmates, so make sure you get that flu shot!!
Back off the alcohol.
Alcohol has empty calories and is a risk factor for accidents, injuries and regrettable risky behaviors. Once you turn 21, try sticking to the recommended daily limit of no more than two beers or glasses of wine for men and one for women.
Kick the bad habits!
Rub snuff, smoke cigarettes or do other drugs? STOP!! All these can impose serious health threats so start kicking those bad habits today. Talk with your healthcare provider for assistance or check out your local health department
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A species on the brink – Freshwater Pearl Mussel
They can live for over a century, they have one of the most bizarre life-cycles of any species you’re likely to find and they’re one of the reasons why the Romans invaded Britain. What’s more is that their future is in our hands. The freshwater pearl mussel might not have the glamour of some other iconic ‘Scottish’ species like the golden eagle or red squirrel, but they’re incredibly important. Scotland holds around half of the world’s population of this fascinating creature and they are currently balancing on a knife-edge.
Populations are found in some of the rivers flowing into Loch Ness.
Freshwater pearl mussels are very slow-growing and live at the bottom of clean, generally fast-flowing rivers. These animals, which spend the early part of their life harmlessly attached to the gills of trout and salmon before settling onto a suitable substrate are now extinct across most of their former range. Highland rivers are a stronghold for the species.
As their name suggests, they very occasionally bear a pearl, and this has in many ways led to their downfall. The taking of mussels by ‘pearl-fishers’ has been the main reason for the massive declines in these populations, but they have also been affected by pollution and river-engineering works.
The freshwater pearl mussel was given full legal protection in 1998 but unfortunately illegal activity still continues. Every year we still come across significant ‘kills’ where piles of hundreds of empty shells mark the scene of a few hours illegal fishing, where a whole population of this globally threatened species can be wiped out in a couple of hours.
These threats to the species have meant that the freshwater pearl mussel is a UK Wildlife Crime priority. This means that the Police work closely with Scottish Natural Heritage, anglers, bailiffs, river users and a wide-range of other organisations to help tackle these crimes by improving awareness, collection of intelligence and better enforcement to safeguard the species.
However, whilst the police and other organisations do their best to help tackle wildlife crime in this way they can’t do it alone, and the help of the public can be absolutely crucial. Pearl fishing is often carried out in remote locations, or very early in the morning when there is less chance of being detected, and often during the summer when daylight hours are long and the rivers are low. Fishing is often carried out by wading out into rivers and using glass-bottomed buckets to find the mussels and a cleft stick to recover them. If anyone sees or suspects that pearl fishing is taking place we urge people to report it to their local police station and Wildlife Crime Officer as soon as possible.
At the same time there are numerous projects aimed at active conservation of the species, including a recent £3.5 million project funded by the European Commission’s LIFE+ fund and secured by Scottish National Heritage and 14 other organisations. The project will improve habitats for the species, encourage simple and effective positive management of rivers where they are present, improve awareness and understanding of the species as well as helping address wildlife crime issues.
So it’s not all doom and gloom for this remarkable species, and everybody has a role in ensuring it’s survival – let’s hope that we can bring the freshwater pearl mussel back from the brink.
If you would like more information on the species visit SNH’s website at http://www.snh.gov.uk/about-scotlands-nature/species/invertebrates/freshwater-invertebrates/freshwater-pearl-mussel/
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Cori spezzati (kor' ee spetz ah' tee), Italian for "separated choirs," is the term used to describe a musical composition that uses spatial effects to emphasize the interplay between its various voices. Typically, this means placing two or more choirs or groups of instruments in various places around a performance space. Music that is intended to be performed cori spezatti is by nature antiphonal; in fact, some consider these two terms to be synonymous, at least when they refer to instrumental music.
Cori spezzati isn't a particularly common form of music, and for obvious reasons. In order for it to work out right, it must be performed in a specific type of space; namely, one which is both big enough to accomodate the separation of the instrumental/vocal groups and acoustically suited to the kind of call and answer phrasing that characterizes antiphonal music. (If the space is too echoey, the interplay among the groups just becomes muddled. If it's just moderately echoey, though, it sounds great.) And even in concert halls which meet these specifications, there's a certain awkwardness to the idea of putting half the ensemble onstage and sending the rest up to the balcony or (as I have seen done) forsaking the stage altogether and having half the group stand in the left-hand balcony and the other half in the right-hand one.
The type of performance space which is most obviously suited to cori spezzati is the cathedral; in churches, the problem of the stage is eliminated, and there are generally balconies and nooks and crannies galore in Renaissance-style basilicas. Unsurprisingly, a Renaissance basilica was the formal birthplace of cori spezzati: in the late 1500's, Giovanni Gabrieli, the music director, organist, and composer-in-residence at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, began experimenting with the idea of separating his choirs and putting them in different places around the church. Gabrieli is considered to be the father of cori spezzati, and probably the only composer to write a serious volume of work in this style. He wrote both choral and instrumental pieces (mostly sacred, because of the nature of his job), some of which are still performed today and shouldn't be too hard to find recordings of. (I, unfortunately, do not own recordings of any of Gabrieli's music, although I heard his Sonata Octavi Toni for two brass choirs performed live, and it was gorgeous. I recommend it highly if you happen to like Renaissance/Baroque music.)
This writeup was made possible by a little bit of help from www.naxos.com/composer/gabrieli.htm, and Virginia Tech's Online Music Dictionary, found at www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary
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Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the very same day, February 12, 1809, a fateful day for the world. That their births mean so much to so many 200 years later reflects far more than their amazing life accomplishments. With its love of Great Men, history has turned each into a symbol of a major inflection point in the development of Western Civilization, marking the emergence of the Modern in our world. Lincoln symbolizes the final collapse of slavery as an acceptable practice of Christian people. Darwin symbolizes the final collapse of the traditional Christian explanation of how the world works. These historic changes in worldviews originated centuries before their birthday. Neither Lincoln nor Darwin was a major agent of the change. But each was fated to drive the final nail. Neither Lincoln’s presidency nor Darwin’s writings completed the change, but each turned the tide, making it forever impossible to slip permanently backward.
It is ironic that Lincoln symbolizes vindication of the Christian concept of the dignity of the individual person, with God-given rights, whereas Darwin symbolizes the Modern concept of a remote God uncaring about the lives of individual persons. The triumph of Divinely justified abolition was concurrent with the legitimizing of belief that God, even if God exists, is irrelevant to life as we know it.
Darwin Fish vs. Jesus Fish
Several years ago, I was driving home from work, a bit too lost in my thoughts. I had to brake violently to avoid rear-ending a car stopped at an intersection in my California town. As I recovered my wits and studied the rear-end of the car I nearly smashed, I saw for the first time the Darwin fish – the “Jesus fish” with Darwin’s name instead and little feet underneath, like the familiar figure of a fish sprouting feet to become an amphibian. I laughed! And I continued to laugh as I saw more of these Darwin fish on the rear ends of cars around town. It is a university town, where you expect such clever, irreverent humor. Over time, I saw the growing bumper battle between the Darwin fish and the Jesus fish, with ever more clever designs, culminating in the Darwin fish opening wide to eat the Jesus fish! I became concerned. Too many people are taking this battle seriously, seeing Darwin as displacing Jesus.
This was not the reaction of an offended Christian or shock at such public display of intolerance. I was reacting to the name Darwin coming to symbolize so much other than the man or even his work. The Darwin fish proposes an equivalence between Darwin and Jesus. Darwin the prophet of modernity, Darwin the symbol of Ultimate Truth, Darwin an object of “religious” reverence. This struck me as profound misrepresentation of who was Charles Darwin and what he himself stood for. This was not science versus religion or science versus Christianity but Science as a religion competing with Christianity as a religion. I knew Charles the person would have been appalled.
A Visit to Down House
Two years ago, I spent a March day at Down House, Charles’s home for forty years. No other single house is more closely associated with the work of a great man. It was a weekday, so I nearly had the place to myself. Charles Darwin and his wife Emma and his children and his servants and his experiments and his village came alive in my mind.
I prowled the family rooms, furnished almost as they were 150 years ago, imagining I could hear Emma playing the piano in the parlor. I stood for an hour in his study, just watching Charles in my mind as he worked with total concentration yet smiled when his children came noisily rushing in to find scissors for their project. I returned a few minutes later to imagine Charles Lyell and Joseph Hooker sitting with Charles in rapt conversation. I stood by the dining table to watch Charles holding court as local magistrate to settle disputes among his fellow villagers. Then I saw him alone at the table carefully reconciling the accounts of the Friendly Club he helped start so that local laborers could save for their future needs. I had tea at the kitchen table, where Charles once played a hand of whist for the cook while she tended the stove. I walked the Sandwalk round and round five times as a snow squall swept through the stand of old trees Charles had planted then changed abruptly to pale Kentish sunshine over the fields that once belonged to the neighbor, Sir John Lubbock. On the Sandwalk, I thought for the first time in years about that near-accident in my own town and then about the meaning of the “Darwin fish.”
In Defense of Charles the Person
I am a friend of Charles the person and therefore feel obliged to defend his good name. Not that I knew him in person! My great, great grandfather was born in England the same year as Charles. But I know Charles a great deal better than I know my own ancestor. His voyage on the Beagle inspired me to travel the world, too. His evolutionary theory structured my worldview in university and to this day. To me, however, Charles is more than a voyage and a theory. Charles is a life-long friend – not a mentor or a teacher or a hero or an icon – a personal friend – like the fantasy friend of a child, I suppose – with passions and aversions, strengths and weaknesses, to which I relate my own. He is a person with whom I can sympathize but also criticize. He puzzles yet inspires me. He makes me smile, and he is exasperating. We agree, and we disagree. We walk together in silence. He speaks, I listen. He is a personal friend, no less than my deceased father, who is gone, yet with me. It is a person-to-person connection. In short, I like Charles Darwin a great deal. I know him too well to sit by while the modern world enthrones him as its demi-god. Nor can I idly allow him to be branded the Anti-Christ.
To Understand Charles the Person
The Darwin name will be taken in vain regardless of how hard we try to set the record straight, but those of us who honor intellectual honesty and historical accuracy should have ready access to the real man and what were most likely his true views on the issues that are now so controversial. Surely this better understanding only improves the debate. We also owe this much to such a remarkable, decent and likeable man.
You might ask what more there is to know about Charles Darwin. Surely his life and work are among the best chronicled of any historic figure. What can be added to the numerous biographies based on volumes of personal letters, notebooks, manuscripts, and of course, his many books?
Nonetheless, lots more is being written now, because today is February 12, 2009, the bicentennial of Charles Darwin’s birth. The world is celebrating as it would for no other scientist, because Darwin has become the patron saint of the secular worldview that needs no god for explanation of past, present and future. The commemoration will be the occasion for new assaults in the ongoing culture war between evolution and creationism, more generally between secular and religious worldviews. There will be lectures and symposia, sermons and articles, popular books and television specials revisiting and interpreting the life, times and writings of this iconic figure of the modern (and post-modern) world.
Whether the authors are triumphant or defiant in their attitude toward Charles Darwin, the naturalist of H.M.S. Beagle and author of On the Origin of Species will overshadow Charles Darwin the remarkably likeable countryman of Shropshire and Kent, the loyal friend of leading intellectuals around the world, the loving, playful father of accomplished children, and especially the devoted husband of Emma Wedgwood. The influence of Emma on the career and thinking of Charles goes well beyond her famous roles as hostess and lady of Down House, guardian of his health and spirits, and worrier for his eternal soul as his worldview evolved toward its irretrievable break from Anglican orthodoxy. She was a devout believer, but as a thoughtful Unitarian, not a rote Anglican. She was the sophisticated daughter and granddaughter of great industrialists. She had done the Grand Tour and learned the languages and music of the Continent (in contrast, Charles visited Europe only once, a brief visit to Paris, before his famous voyage, after which he never left England again). She was keenly interested in the politics and current events of the day. And she was Charles’s best friend.
An Online Book Project
As I stood in the parlor of Down House, it occurred to me that Emma and Charles were a couple worthy of a Jane Austen novel. As I did my five turns around the Sandwalk, I started an ambition to achieve a novelist’s level of sympathy with this historic couple, if only to better understand Charles.
What Charles and Emma wrote about their own personal views gives only partial insight. Each had personal biases welling up from assumptions, of which even they were mostly unaware. As we all are, Charles and Emma were children of their time and all that led up to that time. Therefore, to properly interpret what they were thinking and feeling, we have to explore the history and philosophy and culture and society that influenced their thinking and feeling. A daunting task indeed!
In July of last year (2008), I launched DarwinWatch on which I am posting a series of essays and book reviews I am writing as I read and think on this task. Someday I plan to meld these into a book, which I may title Walking Fish: Charles and Emma Darwin on the Question of God. There is no way to know how successful this project might be, but you may find my effort interesting to monitor on occasion. I welcome your comments.
Copyright 2009 by Chris Dunford. May be quoted in part or in full only with attribution to Chris Dunford (www.darwinwatch.wordpress.com)
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Viator,Vol. 37 (2006)
In 772, shortly after annexing his brother’s share of the Frankish kingdom, Charlemagne launched his first campaign against the Saxons. “No war taken up by the Frankish people was ever longer, harder or more dreadful,” wrote Einhard almost half a century later. For more than three decades (from 772 until 804) Charlemagne and his army were occupied with a bloody and protracted attempt to pacify and subdue the Saxons.
A standard textbook narrative of the Saxon wars would go roughly like this: Charlemagne’s successful raid into Saxony in 772 opened the first phase of the Saxon wars. The reasons behind it are not at all clear. The so-called Annales regni Francorum, that is, the supposedly official court-based Frankish history, simply state that from Worms, where Charlemagne had held an assembly, he marched into Saxony. No Saxon rebellion or any other Saxon aggression are mentioned in connection with the Frankish attack, and it seems that once Charlemagne had managed to pacify Aquitaine, he decided to finish the job his father had already started in Saxony. Following the capture of Eresburg, Charlemagne and his army continued northwards, destroying on their way the enigmatic Irminsul. Charlemagne would have liked to continue his campaign in Saxony, but a desperate call for help from the pope forced him to leave Saxony and head southwards. The Saxon reaction was not late in coming. When Charlemagne and the Frankish army were busy in Italy, the Saxons invaded Hesse, plundering and destroying everything on their way.
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What Is It?
A meniscus is a disk-shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber inside a joint. Each knee has one lateral meniscus under the outer knob of the thighbone and one medial meniscus under the inner knob of the thighbone. Each meniscus acts as a natural cushion between the thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). The two cushions prevent excess wear and tear inside the knee joint by keeping the ends of the two bones from rubbing together. Each meniscus also absorbs much of the shock of jumps and landings and helps to distribute joint fluid evenly to lubricate and nourish the knee.
In the United States, a torn meniscus is the most common reason for knee surgery.
The symptoms of a torn meniscus can include:
- Knee pain, usually on one side of your knee
- Tenderness at the side of the joint
- Knee swelling within the first 12 hours after injury
- A "locked" knee that can't be bent
- A knee that catches during movement, or can't be fully straightened
- A click, pop or grinding inside your knee when you move it
- A knee that buckles, gives way or feels generally weak
Your doctor will inspect both your knees to compare your injured knee with your uninjured one. He or she will check your injured knee for signs of swelling, tenderness and fluid inside the knee joint. If your knee is not locked, the doctor will bend your injured knee and check for clicks, snaps and "catches" within the joint. Your doctor also will evaluate your knee's range of motion and will maneuver your knee to see whether your meniscus is sensitive to pressure. For example, in the "McMurray test," the doctor bends the leg at the knee, and then rotates it inward or outward while straightening it. If you feel pain during this test or if there is a "click" sound as your leg rotates, there is a good chance that your meniscus is torn.
If the results of your exam suggest you have a torn meniscus, you may need more tests, including:
- Knee X-rays to check for bone injuries, including fracture, that can cause symptoms similar to a torn meniscus
- A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or computed tomography (CT) scan -- Nine out of 10 times, a torn meniscus will show up on one of these tests.
- Arthroscopy (camera-guided surgery) to look inside the knee joint and examine the meniscus -- When arthroscopy is used for diagnosis, the problem can often be treated during the same surgery.
If you have arthroscopic surgery to treat your torn meniscus and your job involves sedentary work (mostly sitting), you may be able to return to work one to two weeks after surgery, with full recovery in about four to eight weeks. If you are an athlete or your job requires a lot of physical activity, it may take three to four months after surgery before you feel like you have as much function in your knee as you require.
Although it's hard to prevent accidental knee injuries, you may be able to reduce your risks by:
- Warming up and stretching before participating in athletic activities
- Exercising to strengthen the muscles around your knee
- Avoiding sudden increases in the intensity of your training program
- Wearing comfortable, supportive shoes that fit your feet and your sport
- Wearing appropriate protective gear during activities, including athletic activities, in which knee injuries are common (especially if you've had knee injuries before).
There are several options for treating a torn meniscus:
- Nonsurgical. This may include a temporary knee brace and rehabilitation to keep the knee muscles strong while the knee is not bearing as much weight. This approach is most effective for small tears (5 millimeters or less) near the edge of the meniscus, where healing is usually good, or for people who are not good candidates for surgery.
- Surgery to repair the tear. If the tear is large (1 to 2 centimeters), but it involves a part of the meniscus where there is enough blood supply for healing, the doctor may be able to repair it with stitches.
- Surgery to remove part of the meniscus (partial meniscectomy). If the tear involves part of the meniscus where healing is poor, the surgeon may trim away ragged edges along the tear to allow the joint to move smoothly.
- Surgery to remove the entire meniscus (total meniscectomy). This option is used for tears that cannot be treated any other way. Doctors try to avoid this, because it leaves the knee without a meniscus and greatly increases the wear on the ends of the femur and tibia. In the long run, this also increases the risk of osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) in the knee.
If you need surgery to correct a torn meniscus, it usually can be done using arthroscopy (camera-guided surgery) as a same-day procedure. After the procedure, you will begin physical therapy to help strengthen your knee muscles, reduce pain and swelling, and return the knee's full range of motion.
When To Call a Professional
Call your doctor to schedule an evaluation whenever an injured knee:
- Locks, catches or can't be fully extended
- Becomes very painful or swollen
- Makes a click, pop or grinding sound when you move it, especially if associated with pain
- Buckles, gives way or feels generally weak
In most cases, the outlook is very good. If your torn meniscus has been repaired surgically or partially removed, you probably will be able to resume your normal athletic activities once you've finished physical therapy.
According to long-term studies, most people who have had a meniscus repaired feel very satisfied with the results of their surgery, even 10 or 11 years after the procedure. However, some people with meniscus injuries eventually develop arthritis in the injured knee. Typically, arthritis develops many years after the injury. The highest risk is among those who've had a part or all of the meniscus removed, because significant injuries requiring this surgery often damage the joint but also because these surgeries take away some or all of the cushioning effect of the meniscus.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Insitutes of Health
1 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
8201 Corporate Dr.
Landover, MD 20785
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
6300 North River Road
Rosemont, IL 60018
National Athletic Trainers' Association
2952 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75247
American Physical Therapy Association
1111 North Fairfax St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1488
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Eye tracking is a process that identifies a specific point in both space and time that is being looked at by the observer. This information can also be used in real-time to control applications using the eyes. Recent innovations in the video game industry include alternative input modalities to provide an enhanced, more immersive user experience. In particular, eye gaze control has recently been explored as an input modality in video games. This book is an introduction for those interested in using eye tracking to control or analyze video games and virtual environments. Key concepts are illustrated through three case studies in which gaze control and voice recognition have been used in combination to control virtual characters and applications. The lessons learned in the case studies are presented and issues relating to incorporating eye tracking in interactive applications are discussed. The reader will be given an introduction to human visual attention, eye movements and eye tracking technologies. Previous work in the field of studying fixation behavior in games and using eye tracking for video game interaction will also be presented.
Collect Fly Buys when you purchase this title
The final chapter discusses ideas for how this field can be developed further to create richer interaction for characters and crowds in virtual environments. Alternative means of interaction in video games are especially important for disabled users for whom traditional techniques, such as mouse and keyboard, may be far from ideal. This book is also relevant for those wishing to use gaze control in applications other than games. Table of Contents: Introduction / The Human Visual System / Eye Tracking / Eye Tracking in Video Games / Gaze and Voice Controlled Video Games: Case Study I and II / Gaze and Voice Controlled Drawing: Case Study III / Conclusion
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Sustainability and Renewable Merino
Wool runs on grass
The primary inputs for wool production are water, sunshine and fertile soils to grow grass – the primary diet of sheep.
As such merino production inherently has the potential of being fully sustainable providing it is operated within the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.
They must operate, or be in the process of implementing, a grazing management strategy based on long term sustainability.
The management system must embrace holistic farming principals with the goal of developing a resilient ecosystem that can regenerate, withstand stress and rebuild itself when necessary.
This goal should be to aim for 100% ground cover all year, with a focus on perennial grasses to regenerate the ecology and increase biodiversity.
Holistic farming principles include:
- Clear goals for the people involved
– Clear goals for the land in use
– Clear goals for the business
- Clear goals for the management of livestock
The management process should involve:
- Reviewing these strategies regularly
– Making decision with these goals in mind
– Monitoring the health of your land, your business and the people involved
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A lumbar puncture is a procedure in which a needle is inserted into the spinal canal to measure the pressure and obtain a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the colorless fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. The procedure may also be used to inject anesthetics, medicine, or a contrast dye (for spinal X-rays) into the spinal fluid or to drain fluids that accumulate as a result of certain medical conditions.
Fluid samples obtained from a lumbar puncture can be analyzed for signs of infection (such as meningitis), inflammation, cancer, or bleeding in the area around the brain or spinal cord.
A lumbar puncture is also sometimes called a spinal tap.
eMedicineHealth Medical Reference from Healthwise
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
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Girl Scout Preserves Florida's Wildlife
March 23, 2012 – Miami, Fla. – Senior Girl Scout Caitlin Kaloostian earned the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive, by completing a new butterfly garden and wildlife themed mural for The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The FWC works with community and youth organizations to demonstrate the importance of safeguarding Florida’s Natural resources and to encourage the next generation of conservationists. To further this mission, Kaloostian held fundraisers such as garage sales and solicited help from fellow high school students to raise funds necessary to complete the project. With the help of her troop, Girl Scout Troop 305, Kaloostian painted a mural at the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement Office which featured native fish and wildlife including a Florida panther, a manatee, an alligator, fish and many other animals. The butterfly garden uses native plants to attract butterflies and birds. Both the mural and the butterfly garden will help to preserve Florida’s future.
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Deep Vein Thrombosis
Exams and Tests
When you first see the doctor, he or she will do a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history. These help your doctor decide what tests you need based on your risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Your doctor will check:
- Your heart and lungs.
- Your legs for warmth, swelling, bulging veins, or changes in skin color.
Your doctor may ask:
- Do you have any swelling or pain in your legs?
- Have you had a blood clot before?
- What medicines do you take?
- Have you had surgery recently or have you been on any long trips lately?
Reference Ultrasound is the main test used to help diagnose DVT. It creates a picture of the flow of blood through the veins.
If your doctor thinks you should have more tests, you might have two or three more ultrasounds over the next 7 to 10 days.
More tests may be used when ultrasound results are unclear. These tests often aren't needed, but they may help diagnose or exclude a blood clot in the leg. These tests may include:
Blood thinner testing
If you are treated with anticoagulant medicines, you may need periodic blood tests to monitor the effects of the anticoagulant on the blood. Blood tests include:
- Reference Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) to monitor treatment with heparin.
- Reference Prothrombin time (PT), also referred to as INR, to monitor treatment with warfarin (Coumadin).
Tests for clotting problems
Special blood tests may help identify Reference inherited blood-clotting problems that can increase your risk of forming blood clots or help explain why you got a blood clot. These tests check for genetic conditions or specific proteins in your blood.
Testing might be done if you have or had one or more of the following:
- A blood clot in a vein that has no clear cause
- A blood clot at age 45 or younger
- A blood clot in a vein at an unusual location, such as the gastrointestinal region, the brain, or the arms
- A first-degree family member (mother, father, brother, or sister) who has had a blood clot in a vein before age 45 or has had problems with blood clotting
Screening for these problems in the general population is not routinely done.
|By:||Reference Healthwise Staff||Last Revised: Reference August 17, 2012|
|Medical Review:||Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Jeffrey S. Ginsberg, MD - Hematology
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Other Qs & As
What is pleurisy? I have been prescribed amoxycillin 500mg three times daily but cannot find any information about this condition or where I got it from.
How long will it last and will it affect me in the future?
Other times when I got a bad dose of the flu, my breathing has been strained and sore – then I get a cold like a tight band round my chest.
Could this be connected or not?
Thank you for your email. Pleurisy is simply an inflammation of the membrane that covers your lungs inside your chest.
It is usually caused by a lung infection such as pneumonia, which can easily result from a bad cold.
The antibiotic you have been prescribed is to remedy just such an infection. Pleurisy is not uncommon and its main symptom is a fairly sharp pain on breathing deeply in following on from having a cold.
It usually lasts no more than a week to 10 days once antibiotics have been started, and there is no reason why it should affect you in the future.
Some people do seem to have ‘weak’ chests in that infection tends to move downwards from the head onto the lungs fairly easily, but if you are one of these people, having antibiotics by you to take at the first sign of any chestiness is a good idea and preventative.
Finally, I would only recommend that you ask your GP to test you for asthma as mild undiagnosed asthma can sometimes be a predisposing factor for pleurisy and also for the feeling of having a tight band around the chest when exercising, suffering from a cold or even breathing cold air.
Incidentally, I see that you are taking an anti-inflammatory agent, ibuprofen, for pain in joints as well as cimetidine to prevent inflammation of the lining of the stomach which anti-inflammatory medication can in itself cause.
To answer your other question, you should have some investigations for these joint pains to rule out any form of arthritis, and you should not be having repeat prescriptions without these investigations or having your medication reviewed.
The NetDoctor Medical Team
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Crew: Filipchenko, Grechko. Soyuz s/n 18 would have been the active spacecraft of the first dual-spacecraft test of the Kontakt docking system. A crew transfer using the Krechet spacesuit would presumably have taken place. Backup crew: Lazarev, Makarov.
Soyuz s/n 18 would have been the active spacecraft of the first dual-spacecraft test of the Kontakt docking system. A crew transfer using the Krechet spacesuit would presumably have taken place.
By December 1970, there were four crews in training for two pairs of Soyuz spacecraft to be launched to test the Kontakt lunar rendezvous/docking system. During the Salyut 1 mission, in June 1971, six crews were identified and assigned to specific Soyuz spacecraft serial numbers for these tests. These would have been launched in three pairs beginning in early 1972, depending on the schedule for the DOS-2 station. In the event, the death of the Soyuz 11 crew, and subsequent redesign of the Soyuz spacecraft, led to these Kontakt missions being cancelled and the whole Kontakt test series being reformulated with new crew members in early 1973. Soyuz Kontakt 1 would have been the active spacecraft of the first mission.
AKA: Soyuz s/n 18.
More... - Chronology...
First Launch: 1972 Early.
Lazarev Lazarev, Vasili Grigoryevich (1928-1990) Russian physician cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 12, Soyuz 18-1. Survived first manned spaceflight abort during launch. More...
Filipchenko Filipchenko, Anatoli Vassilyevich (1928-) Russian pilot cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 7, Soyuz 16. More...
Grechko Grechko, Georgi Mikhailovich (1931-) Russian engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 17, Salyut 6 EO-1, Salyut 7 EP-5. More...
Makarov Makarov, Oleg Grigoryevich (1933-2003) Russian engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 12, Soyuz 18-1, Salyut 6 EP-1, Salyut 6 EO-5. Survived first manned spaceflight abort during launch. More...
Lunar L3 The Soviet program to land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth. More...
Soyuz sn 18 Chronology
1971 June 15 -
- Soyuz Kontakt and DOS-2 crew assignments made. - .
Nation: USSR. Related Persons: Filipchenko; Grechko; Lazarev; Makarov; Vorobyov; Yazdovsky; Yakovlev; Porvatkin; Kovalyonok; Isakov; Shcheglov; Leonov; Rukavishnikov; Kolodin; Gubarev; Sevastyanov; Voronov; Klimuk; Artyukhin; Bykovsky; Alekseyev, Semyon; Gorbatko. Program: Salyut; Lunar L3. Flight: Soyuz 11; Soyuz 12 / DOS 1; Soyuz sn 18; Soyuz sn 19; Soyuz sn 20; Soyuz sn 21; Soyuz sn 22; Soyuz sn 23; DOS 2-1; DOS 2-2; DOS 2-3; DOS 2-4. Spacecraft: Soyuz Kontakt; Salyut 1. Crews are formed for six Soyuz (Kontakt?) flights. Soyuz s/n 18 - Filipchenko and Grechko; Soyuz s/n 19 - Lazarev and Makarov; Soyuz s/n 20 - Vorobyov and Yazdovsky; Soyuz s/n 21 - Yakovlelv and Porvatkin; Soyuz s/n 22 - Kovalyonok and Isakov; Soyuz s/n 23 - Shcheglov and [illegible]. Five crews are training for Salyut flights: Crew 1, Leonov, Rukavishnikov, and Kolodin; Crew 2, Gubarev, Sevastyanov, and Voronov. TsKBEM engineer cosmonauts are to be selected will round out the last three crews, but VVS members will be: Crew 3, Klimuk, Artyukhin; Crew 4, Bykovskyy, Alekseyev; Crew 5, Gorbatko. Leonov and Gubarev will have their crews fully ready for Soyuz 12 by 30 June, for a launch date between 15-20 July. Leonov is asking to go to East Germany for two to three days in the first week of July. Kamanin is fully opposed to this - he is thinkng not of his upcoming flight, but the exhibition of his paintings at the Prezdensk Gallery!
1972 Early -
- Soyuz sn 18 (cancelled) - .
Crew: Filipchenko; Grechko. Nation: USSR. Related Persons: Filipchenko; Grechko. Program: Lunar L3. Flight: Soyuz sn 18. Spacecraft: Soyuz Kontakt. Summary: Soyuz s/n 18 would have been the active spacecraft of the first dual launch to test the Kontakt lunar orbit rendezvous system. A crew transfer using the Krechet spacesuit would presumably have taken place..
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Severe dyslexia is caused by disorientation, which for dyslexic people means that they have an innacurate perception of the words. That is, they might see the letters of the words jumbled around in all sorts of different ways. There is no way that a dyslexic person who suffers from this sort of disorientation can ever remember a word, because the word seems different every time they look at it.
There is no single pattern of difficulty that affects all dyslexic people. A dyslexic person might have any of the following problems:
- She might see some letters as backwards or upside down;
- She might not be able to tell the difference between letters that look similar in shape such as o and e and c ;
- She might not be able to tell the difference between letters that have similar shape but different orientation, such as b and p and d and q ;
- The letters might look all jumbled up and out of order;
- The letters and words might look all bunched together;
- The letters of some words might appear completely backwards, such as the word bird looking like drib
- The letters and words might look o.k., but the dyslexic person might get a severe headache or feel sick to her stomach every time she tries to read;
- She might see the letters o.k., but not be able to sound out words -- that is, not be able to connect the letters to the sounds they make and understand them;
- She might be able to connect the letters and sound out words, but not recognize words she has seen before, no matter how many times she has seen them -- each time she would have to start fresh;
- She might be able to read the words o.k. but not be able to make sense of or remember what she reads, so that she finds herself coming back to read the same passage over and over again.
The dyslexic people might see the letters of the words jumbled around in all sorts of different ways.
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The Appalachian Mountain range is nearly 1,500 miles long stretching from the southeast corner of Canada to Alabama. The Cumberland Gap, a natural break in the range near the eastern borders of Kentucky and Tennessee, is now a paved highway known as US 25E. A section of US 25E that now passes through a tunnel underneath the mountain is called the Cumberland Gap Tunnel.
Cars and trucks have replaced Conestoga wagons, but the route, now a paved highway, still offered challenges to travelers. The steep grade and sharp turns of US 25E were the cause of many traffic accidents. So many, in fact, that the 2.3-mile stretch of highway earned the unfortunate nickname, “Massacre Mountain.”
To make the route safer, a section of US 25E was relocated under the mountain by constructing a tunnel. This also helped restore the appearance of the mountain to the way it looked in the late 1700s, in the days of Daniel Boone.
The Cumberland Gap Tunnel passes through a large limestone formation within the Cumberland Mountain. Limestone, made of the mineral calcite, is slightly soluble in water. When rainwater seeps through cracks and between layers of limestone, it dissolves some of the calcite it contacts. Bit by bit, the flowing water removes calcite and the cracks grow larger, eventually forming caves. The resulting cave system is a natural conduit for underground water flow.
Where the tunnel passed through a cavern, concrete was poured to form an artificial ceiling structure. This, of course, blocked the water flow. The cavern, which runs almost perpendicular to the tunnel, was kept in a nearly natural state by allowing the water flow to continue its normal course through a conduit five feet in diameter built under the roadway. There is also a passageway constructed above the tunnel to allow for air and water movement. Thus, the cave system continues to function as a natural drainage system.
Engineers designed an additional drainage system to collect percolating groundwater that hits the impervious tunnel walls. This system includes a manmade streambed parallel to the tunnel, running beneath the roadbed from end to end.
The streambed is made of limestone gravel, and water flows between and around these gravel particles. When groundwater percolates through limestone rock layers before reaching the gravel bed, that drainage water is already saturated with calcium carbonate (the chemical name for calcite) and does not dissolve calcite from the gravel. Without loss from dissolving, loss of gravel caused by abrasion and erosion occurs at a slow and predictable rate.
However, most of Cumberland Mountain is made of rock other than limestone, such as sandstone, shale, and siltstone. This means that much of the water entering the tunnel’s drainage system is not already saturated with calcium carbonate and does dissolve gravel material. Similar to the way the cave system developed long ago in the limestone formation within Cumberland Mountain, the artificial streambed is gradually washing away. During the first ten years of the tunnel’s existence, enough gravel matter was removed to cause the roadway above to sag and need repair. As of 2009, a long-term solution had not yet been determined.
To learn about the construction of a different kind of tunnel, one that went underwater, check out Building the Channel Tunnel.
For more information about the movement of plates in Earth's crust, check out Mountain Maker, Earth Shaker.
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Scripture always speaks with absolute authority. It is as authoritative when it instructs us as it is when it commands us. It is as true when it tells the future as it is when it records the past. Although it is not a textbook on science, wherever it intersects with scientific data, it speaks with the same authority as when it gives us moral precepts. Although many have tried to set science against Scripture, science never has disproved one jot or tittle of the Bible--and it never will.
It is therefore a serious mistake to imagine that modern scientists can speak more authoritatively than Scripture on the subject of origins. Scripture is God's own eyewitness account of what happened in the beginning. When it deals with the origin of the universe, all science can offer is conjecture. Science has proven nothing that negates the Genesis record. In fact, the Genesis record answers the mysteries of science.
A clear pattern for interpreting Genesis is given to us in the New Testament. If the language of early Genesis were meant to be interpreted figuratively, we could expect to see Genesis interpreted in the New Testament in a figurative sense. After all, the New Testament is itself inspired Scripture, so it is the Creator's own commentary on the Genesis record.
What do we find in the New Testament? In every New Testament reference to Genesis, the events recorded by Moses are treated as historical events. And in particular, the first three chapters of Genesis are consistently treated as a literal record of historical events. The New Testament affirms, for example, the creation of Adam in the image of God (James 3:9).
Paul wrote to Timothy, "Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression" (1 Timothy 2:13-14). In 1 Corinthians 11:8-9, he writes, "Man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man."
Paul's presentation of the doctrine of original sin in Romans 5:12-20 depends on a historical Adam and a literal interpretation of the account in Genesis about how he fell. Furthermore, everything Paul has to say about the doctrine of justification by faith depends on that. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). Clearly Paul regarded both the creation and fall of Adam as history, not allegory. Jesus Himself referred to the creation of Adam and Eve as a historical event (Mark 10:6). To question the historicity of these events is to undermine the very essence of Christian doctrine.
Moreover, if Scripture itself treats the creation and fall of Adam as historical events, there is no warrant for treating the rest of the creation account as allegory or literary device. Nowhere in all of Scripture are any of these events handled as merely symbolic.
In fact, when the New Testament refers to creation, (e.g., Mark 13:19; John 1:3; Acts 4:24; 14:15; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2, 10; Revelation 4:11; 10:6; 14:7) it always refers to a past, completed event--an immediate work of God, not a still-occurring process of evolution. The promised New Creation, a running theme in both Old and New Testaments, is portrayed as an immediate fiat creation, too--not an eons-long process (Isaiah 65:17). In fact, the model for the New Creation is the original creation (cf. Romans 8:21; Revelation 21:1, 5).
Hebrews 11:3 even makes belief in creation by divine fiat the very essence of faith itself: "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." Creation ex nihilo is the clear and consistent teaching of the Bible.
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American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The chance happening of fortunate or adverse events; fortune: They met one day out of pure luck.
- n. Good fortune or prosperity; success: We wish you luck.
- n. One's personal fate or lot: It was just my luck to win a trip I couldn't take.
- v. Informal To gain success or something desirable by chance: lucked into a good apartment; lucked out in finding that rare book.
- idiom. as luck would have it As it turned out; as it happened: As luck would have it, it rained the day of the picnic.
- idiom. in luck Enjoying success; fortunate.
- idiom. out of luck Lacking good fortune.
- idiom. press To risk one's good fortune, often by acting overconfidently.
- idiom. try (one's) luck To attempt something without knowing if one will be successful.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Fortune; hap; that which happens to a person by chance, conceived as having a real tendency to be favorable or unfavorable, or as if there were an inward connection between a succes sion of fortuitous occurrences having the same character as favorable or unfavorable. Thus, gamesters say that one ought to continue to play while the luck is in one's favor and leave off when the luck turns against one.
- n. Good fortune; favorable hap; a supposed something, pertaining to a person, at least for a time, giving to fortuitous events a favorable character; also, in a weakened sense, a fortuitous combination of favorable occurrences.
- n. An object with which good fortune is thought to be connected; especially, a vessel for holding liquid, as a drinking-cup. There are several such vessels surviving in England, as the Luck of Edenhall, preserved in a manor-house in the county of Cumberland.
- n. Synonyms See happy.
- To be lucky.
- To make lucky.
- n. A lock of wool twisted on the finger of a spinner.
- n. Something that happens to someone by chance, a chance occurrence.
- n. A superstitious feeling that brings fortune or success.
- n. success
- v. intransitive To succeed by chance.
- v. intransitive To rely on luck.
- v. transitive To carry out relying on luck.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. That which happens to a person; an event, good or ill, affecting one's interests or happiness, and which is deemed casual; a course or series of such events regarded as occurring by chance; chance; hap; fate; fortune; often, one's habitual or characteristic fortune.
Luckis often used by itself to mean good luck.
- n. your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
- n. an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
- n. an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome
- From Middle English luk, lukke, related to Old Frisian luk ("luck"), West Frisian gelok ("luck"), Dutch geluk ("luck"), Low German luk ("luck"), German Glück ("luck, good fortune, happiness"), Danish lykke ("luck"), Swedish lycka ("luck"), Icelandic lukka ("luck"). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English lucke, from Middle Dutch luc, short for gheluc. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
“While the romantic side of me would like to believe in "luck" - the karmic, cosmic smiling-upon-me type of luck, the scientific side of me completely agrees with Lena West.”
“And then, turning to leave him, 'An' will ye say a mass if the luck is against me? ”
“Well, your luck is about to change with a little assistance from Lavish Lifestyles, LLC.”
“MAATHAI: They say that what we call luck is opportunity that meets preparedness.”
“I sometimes wonder if what we call luck is merely the will of God, " Otero observed sadly, -and that therefore Cochrane has been sent to scourge Spain for a reason.”
“Whenever you hear any one expatiating upon what he calls the luck of some one else, you may be sure that he is a person entirely deficient in those qualities which could attract what he calls luck, but what is really, in the majority of cases, merely the result of hard work based upon a reasoned poise.”
“Well, this is what I call luck!" exclaimed Ferd Stowing.”
“Well, this is what I call luck -- pure, unadulterated luck, with sugar on it," drawled Ham as he surveyed the house.”
“Ephraim, my son!" said the old gambler, with a cunning smile, "I'll tell you something -- There are persons whose whole powers are devoted to one object -- how to win a fortune; in the same way as there are some who study to become doctors, and the like, so these study what we call luck ... and from them I've learned it.”
“This is certainly what I call luck," cried Allen excitedly, as he gazed at the scrap of paper Levine had passed over.”
These user-created lists contain the word ‘luck’.
all sorts of ...
Very basic words for ESL students.
short, sweet, epic, catchy, sassy, sexy & sizzling.
( personal list, randomness )
Much of my life has had healthy doses of this, so I pay homage.
Looking for tweets for luck.
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24 August 2007
Cardiff scientists exploring the safe storage of hydrogen to power vehicles as an environmentally friendly alternative to petrol have made a promising new discovery.
Having already developed an organic polymer capable of storing 1.7 per cent hydrogen by weight, Professors Neil McKeown from the School of Chemistry together with Peter Budd of the University of Manchester and David Book from the University of Birmingham can now report the creation of an organic polymer able to store around three per cent hydrogen by weight.
The figure is almost double the amount of hydrogen the group’s preliminary polymers could store last year, and offers hope of producing an organic polymer in the future capable of storing enough hydrogen to successfully power a vehicle.
Commenting on the development, Professor McKeown said: "We are excited to report this recent discovery by our research team of a polymer which can hold around three per cent hydrogen by weight. Although we still have a long way to go, it is clear that we are moving in the right direction, especially as we also have a number of promising new polymers to test. "
In order to make hydrogen a viable alternative to petrol, a material which can store hydrogen at a weight of over six per cent is required. This figure is estimated by the American Department of Energy as the minimum required to make a fuel tank for hydrogen to power a vehicle for 300 miles.
"In order to obtain a polymer that can store useful quantities of hydrogen we need to make a much more porous material," said Professor McKeown, "but one in which the holes are very small so as to fit snugly the small hydrogen molecules."
Professor McKeown and his team are investigating a number of promising methods to enhance pororosity as they attempt to build on their current success and produce a material that can store and release hydrogen safely and effectively. They are also collaborating with Professor Kenneth Harris within the School of Chemistry to develop other types of hydrogen storage materials.
Cardiff is the lead University in the research project, which is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
The EU: What’s in it for Wales?
New treatment for eczema trialled
New drugs in development for treatment of osteoarthritis
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Classroom Strategies for Students with Disabilities
This information is intended as a guide to assist students with disabilities in understanding and coping with their particular disability and its characteristics. Because every person and disability is unique, it is important to keep individual qualities and characteristics in mind when evaluating the usefulness of this information for a particular person in a particular circumstance. For additional information regarding these topics, please contact the Counselor/Coordinator of Student Accommodations.
Difficulty paying attention or concentrating on one task for an extended period of time
Difficulty hearing or processing/understanding what is heard.
Total loss of sight
Total loss of hearing
Difficulty expressing oneself in spoken or written form
Difficulty controlling hand, eye or other muscles that aid in the perception and expression of information
Difficulty understanding/interpreting what one hears or reads
Difficulty remembering information
Difficulty seeing or processing/understanding what is seen
For additional information please contact the Counselor/Coordinator of Student Accommodations at 217/234-5259 or email Jordan Hicks at email@example.com
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A new carbon cycle model developed by researchers in Europe indicates that global carbon emissions must start dropping by no later than 2015 to prevent the planet from tipping into dangerous climate instability.
The finding is likely to put new pressure on the world’s top two carbon emitters — China and the US — both of which were widely blamed for failure to reach a binding global accord on carbon reductions in Copenhagen last December. Furthermore, the non-binding outcome of Copenhagen has global carbon emissions peaking in 2020 — five years too late, according to the latest model.
The model, developed by researchers at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, suggests the world’s annual carbon emissions can reach no more than 10 billion tonnes in five years’ time before they must be put on a steady downward path. After that, the researchers say, emissions must drop by 56 per cent by mid-century and need to approach zero by 2100.
Those targets are necessary to prevent average global temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees C by 2100. Under that scenario, though, further warming can still be expected for years to come afterward.
“It will take centuries for the global climate system to stabilise,” says Erich Roeckner, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute.
The new model is the first to pinpoint the extent to which global carbon emissions must be cut to prevent dangerous climate change. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have risen by 35 per cent, to around 390 parts per million today. Stabilising the climate will require concentrations to climb to no higher than 450 parts per million.
“What’s new about this research is that we have integrated the carbon cycle into our model to obtain the emissions data,” Roeckner says.
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|Catechism of the Catholic Church|
IntraText - Text
IN THE AGE OF THE CHURCH
2623 On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of the Promise was poured out on the disciples, gathered "together in one place."92 While awaiting the Spirit, "all these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer."93 The Spirit who teaches the Church and recalls for her everything that Jesus said94 was also to form her in the life of prayer.
2624 In the first community of Jerusalem, believers "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers."95 This sequence is characteristic of the Church's prayer: founded on the apostolic faith; authenticated by charity; nourished in the Eucharist.
2625 In the first place these are prayers that the faithful hear and read in the Scriptures, but also that they make their own - especially those of the Psalms, in view of their fulfillment in Christ.96 The Holy Spirit, who thus keeps the memory of Christ alive in his Church at prayer, also leads her toward the fullness of truth and inspires new formulations expressing the unfathomable mystery of Christ at work in his Church's life, sacraments, and mission. These formulations are developed in the great liturgical and spiritual traditions. the forms of prayer revealed in the apostolic and canonical Scriptures remain normative for Christian prayer.
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Robin Yapp, Contributor
December 10, 2012 | 5 Comments
Saudi Arabia's newly announced commitment to introducing solar-powered desalination plants marks a welcome and significant step in advancing the technology. In October 2012, Abdul Rahman Al-Ibrahim, governor of the country's Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), which procures the majority of its extensive municipal desalination assets, announced plans to establish three new solar-powered desalination plants in Haqel, Dhuba and Farasan. SWCC is the biggest producer of desalinated water worldwide, accounting for 18% of global output.
Energy-intensive desalination plants have traditionally run on fossil fuels, but renewables, particularly solar power, are now beginning to play a part.
Around half the operating cost of a desalination plant comes from energy use, and on current trends Saudi Arabia and many other countries in the region would consume most of the oil they produce on desalination by 2050.
The dominant desalination technology at present, with around 60% of global capacity, is Reverse Osmosis (RO), which pushes brine water through a membrane that retains the salt and other impurities.
Thermal desalination uses heat as well as electricity in distillation processes with saline feedwater heated to vaporise, so fresh water evaporates and the brine is left behind. Cooling and condensation are then used to obtain fresh water for consumption.
Multi Stage Flash (MSF), the most common thermal technique accounting for around 27% of global desalination capacity, typically consumes 80.6 kWh of heat energy plus 2.5-3.5 kWh of electricity per m3 of water. Large scale RO requires only around 3.5-5 kWh/m3 of electricity.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), desalination with renewable energy can already compete cost-wise with conventional systems in remote regions where the cost of energy transmission is high. Elsewhere, it is still generally more expensive than desalination plants using fossil fuels, but IRENA states that it is 'expected to become economically attractive as the costs of renewable technologies continue to decline and the prices of fossil fuels continue to increase.'
Solar Reducing Costs
SWCC has taken a long view and aims to gradually convert all its desalination plants to run on solar power as part of a drive unveiled by the Saudi government earlier this year to install 41 GW of solar power by 2032.
The Al-Khafji solar desalination project, near the border with Kuwait, will become the first large-scale solar-powered seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant in the world, producing 30,000 m3 of water per day for the town's 100,000 inhabitants.
Due for completion at the end of 2012, it has been constructed by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the Saudi national science agency, using technology developed in conjunction with IBM. Innovations include a new polymer membrane to make RO more energy efficient and protect the membrane from chlorine - which is used to pretreat seawater - and clogging with oil and marine organisms.
The use of solar power will bring huge cuts to the facility's contribution to global warming and smog compared to use of RO or MSF with fossil fuels, according to the developers.
Al-Khafji is the first step in KACST's solar energy programme to reduce desalination costs. For phase two, construction of a new plant to produce 300,000 m3 of water per day is planned by 2015, and phase three will involve several more plants by 2018.
Historically, desalination plants have been concentrated in the Persian Gulf region, where there is no alternative for maintaining the public water supply. The region has excellent solar power prospects, suggesting that coupling of the two technologies may become commonplace. A pilot project to construct 30 small-scale solar desalination plants by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi has already seen 22 plants in operation, each producing 25 m3 of potable water per day.
But population increases and looming water scarcity have also prompted widespread investment in desalination. It is now practised in some 150 countries including the US, Europe, Australia, China and Japan and it is becoming an increasingly attractive option both financially and for supply security.
Over the past five years the capacity of operational desalination plants has increased by 57% to 78.4 million m3 per day, according to the International Development Agency. Sharply falling technology costs have been a key driver of the trend and an EU-funded project is examining the case for expanding solar-powered desalination.
Solar power may even offer a solution to an impending crisis in Yemen, where water availability per capita is less than 130 m3/year. Yemen's capital Sana'a, with a population of two million, faces running out of groundwater before 2025. It is estimated that a solar plant powered by a 1250 MW parabolic trough to desalinate water from the Red Sea and pump it 250 km to Sana'a could be constructed for around $6 billion.
Around 700 million people in 43 countries are classified by the UN as suffering from water scarcity today - but by 2025 the figure is forecast to rise to 1.8 billion. With the global population expected to reach nine billion by 2050 and the US secretary of state openly discussing the threat of water shortages leading to wars, desalinated water has never been more important.
Demand for desalinated water is projected to grow by 9% per year until 2016 due to increased consumption in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and in energy-importing countries such as the US, India and China.Population growth and depletion of surface and groundwater means desalination capacity in the MENA region is expected to grow from 21 million m3/day in 2007 to 110 million m3/day in 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.
US President John F Kennedy, speaking in 1962, said: 'If we could produce fresh water from salt water at a low cost, that would indeed be a great service to humanity, and would dwarf any other scientific accomplishment.' In the half century since, the need for innovation to satisfy humanity's demand for clean water has become ever more urgent. While technological advances continue to improve the efficiency of desalination methods, it is vital that the sources of power used by desalination plants also continue to evolve.
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History of Rapa Nui
Your location: Welcome! (Main page) / Culture, history / History of Rapa Nui
Was the first highest rank leader of Easter Island, he is believed to have brought his people on 2 boats more than 1.000 (perhaps even 1.700) years ago to the island.
Western literature refers to Hotu Matu'a as to "Rapa Nui's first king", although it is known that there were no real kings, but rather tribal rulers in Polynesia, we continue to use this term. Hotu Matu'a was considered the "Ariki Mau" by the locals, this meaning sort of a "major leader" or "highest ruler".
The settlement of the island
With certainly we can affirm that Easter Island has been inhabited for over 1.200 years. But, specialists still debate on when the first settlers lead by the legendary Hotu Matu'a arrived.
Specialists consider that the island was colonized sometime between 300 BC and 800 BC. Pollen analysis, DNA analysis and also the studies of local legends point out to various periods between this interval. Of course, some people might have arrived later and others earlier, but it is generally accepted by the great public that the island was uninhabited before 300 BC, despite the fact that there is scientific evidence that Easter Island was inhabited before Hotu Matu'a's arrival.
According to the legends, the Ariki Mau, Hotu Matu'a arrived from an island or group of island called Hiva. Linguistic analysis of the Rapa Nui language suggests that the place of origin was the Marquesas Islands.
Legends say that a person called Hau-Maka (Haumaka) had a dream in which his spirit travelled to an island located far away in order to look for new land for the ruler Hotu Matu'a.
Hau-Maka's dream trip took him to the Mata Ki Te Rangi, meaning "Eyes that look to the Sky", an island located in the center of the Earth. This piece of land was called "Te Pito 'o the Kainga", meaning "center of the Earth".
After Hau-Maka woke up, he told about his dream to Motu Matu'a, the supreme leader who ordered 7 men to travel to the island. So they did and they return to Hiva with the news that indeed, there is new land far away. Following this discovery, Hotu Matu'a traveled with 2 boats with settlers and colonized what we call today "Easter Island".
Several hundreds of years ago a bloody conflict had broken out on Easter Island. This is attributed to a variety of factors: remoteness, overpopulation, deforestation, tribal rivalry.
Easter Island is one of the most isolated islands
in the World. Even today, if you fly with a modern airplane from Santiago,
Chile, it takes 5-6 hours to get there. Imagine how difficult it was about
1.500 years ago!
It is believed that this island was formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.
Roggeveen, the Dutch discoverer of the island had estimated a number of 2.000 - 3.000 inhabitants in 1722. But specialists analyzed the bones, the legends and have come to the conclusion that around the 1500s and the 1700s there could have been as many as 10.000 - 15.000 people living on the island.
Overpopulation could have been the primary reason why the locals started fighting each other. This is believed to have lead to the splitting of the population into several tribes, families. Some think there were 2 tribes fighting, others believe there were multiple families.
During the fights, many moai statues and ahu platforms were destroyed, magnificent statues pulled down. Perhaps it was a revenge against the god(s)? Or just because of anger at the constructors? Perhaps the towards the ancestors who had cut down so many trees in order to move the statues?
The tribal wars have even lead to cannibalism.
During Roggeveen's visit it was noticeable that life on the island has degenerated due to deforestation and the depletion of the island's natural resources.
Today, Easter Island has very few trees, this is due to the fact that the locals had used up all wood for firewood, boat and house construction, but certainly have irresponsibly cut down large amounts of trees for building tools to move and put the moai into place.
Once there were forests of palm trees on Rapa Nui, now the only palm trees that exist were planted. So are all other trees which were brought here from other islands and the Americas.
The disappearing of forests has coincided with the conflict on the island. There was not enough wood to make fishing boats, therefore the islands could forget about going out for fishing and also about leaving the island! The disappearance of wood has also led to the decrease of the number of bids, which could not construct nests anymore. The locals found themselves stuck for good on what they believed to be the "Center of Earth".
The discovery of Easter Island
On Sunday, April 5th, 1722, the first Europeans arrived to the island called by locals "Te Pito 'o Te Henua".
Because it was discovered on Easter, it was named "Easter Island".
The discoverer was Jacob Roggeveen, a Dutch captain.
The name we hear so often, "Rapa Nui" is a newer one, given to the island by Polynesians in the mid 1800.
The oldest name known for this island is "Te Pito 'o Te Henua".
Over 800 statues are today on the island, but when Roggeveen discovered Easter Island, these were in pretty good shape, many in place. Afterwards many have fallen. It is generally believed that there were revolts, conflicts and the islanders pulled them down. There even are theories that point out to the possibility of tsunami tidal waves, which could have demolished moai statues, for example it is strongly suggested that the site of Ahu Tongariki was destroyed by such a force coming from the ocean.
Recovery from the conflicts, colonization and more tragedy
Following the drastic decrease of population induced by the tribal violence and famine, Rapa Nui had recovered only by the mid 1800s, when about 4.000 people lived there. But in the 1800s and the 1900s, more and more Europeans and South Americans arrived to Easter Island, which had become part of Chile in 1888.
Tragically many Rapa Nui people were forcefully deported to Peru and Chile, many others died of diseases brought in by the white man.
All these have almost lead to the extermination of the whole population. In 1877 only 111 Rapa Nui people existed on the island.
Later, the island's population took a positive turn and many Polynesians, Amerindians and white men from Chile and Peru came to settle here.
Today tourism, fishing, some agriculture account for the main economic resources of the island. In fact, tourism which so far helped the island may be its biggest threat as more and more people flock to this tiny triangular land on a weekly basis.
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Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards (2006)Board on Environmental Science and Toxicology
Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review; while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy. Learn more on our expert consensus reports.
Most people associate fluoride with the practice of intentionally adding fluoride to public drinking-water supplies for the prevention of tooth decay. However, fluoride can also enter public water systems from natural sources, including runoff from weathering of fluoride-containing rocks and soils and leaching from soil into groundwater. Fluoride pollution from various industrial emissions can also contaminate water supplies. In a few areas of the United States, fluoride concentrations in water are much higher than normal, mostly from natural sources. Because it can occur at toxic levels, fluoride is one of the drinking water contaminants regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 1986, EPA established a maximum allowable concentration for fluoride in drinking water of 4 milligrams per liter (mg/L), a guideline designed to prevent the public from being exposed to harmful levels of fluoride. After reviewing research on various health effects from exposure to fluoride, including studies conducted in the last 10 years, this report concludes that EPA\u0092s drinking water standard for fluoride does not protect against adverse health effects. Just over 200,000 Americans live in communities where fluoride levels in drinking water are 4 mg/L or higher. Children in those communities are at risk of developing severe tooth enamel fluorosis, a condition that can cause tooth enamel loss and pitting. A majority of the report\u0092s authoring committee also concluded that people who drink water containing 4 mg/L or more of fluoride over a lifetime are likely at increased risk for bone fractures.
- A few studies of human populations have suggested that fluoride might be associated with alterations in reproductive hormones, fertility, and Down's syndrome, but their design limitations make them of little value for risk evaluation
- Assessing whether fluoride constitutes a risk factor for osteosarcoma is complicated by the rarity of the disease and the difficulty of characterizing biologic dose because of the ubiquity of population exposure to fluoride and the difficulty of acquiring bone samples in nonaffected individuals.
- Bone fluoride concentrations increase with both magnitude and length of exposure. Empirical data suggest substantial variations in bone fluoride concentrations at any given water concentration.
- Case reports and in vitro and animal studies indicated that exposure to fluoride at concentrations greater than 4 mg/L can be irritating to the gastrointestinal system, affect renal tissues and function, and alter hepatic and immunologic parameters. Such effects are unlikely to be a risk for the average individual exposed to fluoride at 4 mg/L in drinking water. However, a potentially susceptible subpopulation comprises individuals with renal impairments who retain more fluoride than healthy people do.
- Fluoride is an endocrine disruptor in the broad sense of altering normal endocrine function or response, although probably not in the sense of mimicking a normal hormone. The mechanisms of action remain to be worked out and appear to include both direct and indirect mechanisms.
- Gaps in the information on fluoride prevented the committee from making some judgments about the safety or the risks of fluoride at concentrations of 2 to 4 mg/L.
- Groups likely to have increased bone fluoride concentrations include the elderly and people with severe renal insufficiency.
- In light of the collective evidence on various health end points and total exposure to fluoride, the committee concludes that EPA�s MCLG of 4 mg/L should be lowered.
- Little data is available on immunologic parameters in human subjects exposed to fluoride from drinking water or osteoporosis therapy, but in vitro and animal data suggest the need for more research in this area.
- On the basis of information largely derived from histological, chemical, and molecular studies, it is apparent that fluorides have the ability to interfere with the functions of the brain and the body by direct and indirect means.
- On the basis of pharmacokinetic modeling, the current best estimate for bone fluoride concentrations after 70 years of exposure to fluoride at 4 mg/L in water is 10,000 to 12,000 mg/kg in bone ash. Higher values would be predicted for people consuming large amounts of water (>2 L/day) or for those with additional sources of exposure. Less information was available for estimating bone concentrations from lifetime exposure to fluoride in water at 2 mg/L. The committee estimates average bone concentrations of 4,000 to 5,000 mg/kg ash.
- Pharmacokinetics should be taken into account when comparing effects of fluoride in different species. Limited evidence suggests that rats require higher chronic exposures than humans to achieve the same plasma and bone concentrations.
- Studies of the effects of fluoride on the kidney, liver, and immune system indicate that exposure to concentrations much higher than 4 mg/L can affect renal tissues and function and cause hepatic and immunologic alterations in test animals and in vitro test systems.
- The committee did not find any human studies on drinking water containing fluoride at 4 mg/L where GI, renal, hepatic, or immune effects were carefully documented.
- The committee finds that the available epidemiologic data for assessing bone fracture risk in relation to fluoride exposure around 2 mg/L are inadequate for drawing firm conclusions about the risk or safety of exposures at that concentration.
- The committee's conclusions regarding the potential for adverse effects from fluoride at 2 to 4 mg/L in drinking water do not address the lower exposures commonly experienced by most U.S. citizens. The charge to the committee did not include an examination of the benefits and risks that might occur at these lower concentrations of fluoride in drinking water.
- The damage to teeth caused by severe enamel fluorosis is a toxic effect that the majority of the committee judged to be consistent with prevailing risk assessment definitions of adverse health effects.
- The degree to which moderate enamel fluorosis might go beyond a cosmetic effect to create an adverse psychological effect or an adverse effect on social functioning is also not known.
- The single most important contributor to fluoride exposures (approaching 50% or more) is fluoridated water and other beverages and foods prepared or manufactured with fluoridated water.
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- Consul (abbrev. cos.; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic. — “Consul - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”, - Roman Consuls - names and dates of the consuls of Rome during the Roman Republic. — “Consuls of Rome”, - Below is a list of the consuls of the Roman Republic from its foundation until the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. There were normally two consuls elected for each year. If during that year a consul resigned from office or died, a "suffect" (replacement) consul was elected in his place. — “Consuls of the Roman Republic”, ualberta.ca - Welcome to the Website of the Federation of European Associations of Honorary Consuls - F.U.E.C.H ! Ses objectifs – précisés a l'article 2 de nos statuts – sont de promouvoir l'harmonisation des droits, tâches et devoirs des Consuls Honoraires en Europe. — “Index”, - Consuls definition, an official appointed by the government of one country to look after its commercial interests and the welfare of its citizens in another cou See more. — “Consuls | Define Consuls at ”, - Consuls 1st Century AD. List of Consuls. The following list of Consuls, beginning with the foundation of the Republic in 509 BC, is taking largely from the list of Varro compiled in the 1st century BC. Prior to 300 BC, the list has some known. — “List of Consuls”, - During the time of ancient Rome as a Republic, the consuls were the highest civil and military magistrates, serving as the heads The Napoleonic Roman Republic (15 February 1798 – 23 June 1800) was headed by multiple consuls:. — “Consul - Reference”, - Roman Magistrates: Consuls, Tribunes, Praetors, Censors and Aediles Consuls. After the last king Tarquin the Proud was expelled the rule of Rome was awarded to two elected Consuls and a pyramid of more or less. — “Roman Magistrates: Consuls, Tribunes, Praetors, Censors and”, - Consul: Roman magistrate, comparable with a prime minister or a president. The consuls were the chairmen of the Senate, which served as a board of advisers. — “Consul”, - Under the Republic, two (2) elected consuls shared the head of government. Consuls were members of the Senate, who had been elected to serve for a one year term in the position of Consul, the highest position in government under the Republic. — “Ancient Rome for Kids - Government under the Republic - the”, - During the Roman Republic, the consuls were the highest civil and military magistrates, serving as the heads of government for the Republic. New consuls were elected every year. There were two consuls and they ruled together. However, after. — “Consuls”, - Genius - the dynamic portal engine and content management system. — “CONSUL-ONLINE - Web Links”, - Definition of Consuls in the Legal Dictionary - by Free online English dictionary and encyclopedia. What is Consuls? Meaning of Consuls as a legal term. What does Consuls mean in law?. — “Consuls legal definition of Consuls. Consuls synonyms by the”, legal- - The Consuls were the chief executives of the Republic. In them were vested broad powers to arbitrate, legislate adjudicate, and govern. They were the chief military officers, they represented Rome in foreign matters, and they led the Senate. — “Consuls”, - Home / Foreign Policy / The 4th Conference of the Hungarian Honorary Consuls / The Institution of Honorary Consuls - The Hungarian Honorary Consular Corps / Honorary Consuls - Short History. The short history of honorary consular representations. — “Honorary Consuls - Short History”, mfa.gov.hu - Multiple words are searched together as one phrase. Example : world health organization for 1-5 characters, '**' for open-ended truncation, '?' to replace a single character. — “CONSULS | Catalog of the CSU Libraries & The CT State Library”, - consul n. ( Abbr. Con. or Cons. ) An official appointed by a government to reside in a foreign country and represent his or her government's. — “consul: West's Encyclopedia of American Law (Full Article”, - Under the Republic the minimum age of election to consul for patricians was 40 years of age, for plebeians 42. Two consuls were elected each year, they served together with veto power over each other's actions, and the year of their service was known by their names. — “Consul - Wikinfo”, - Under the Republic, the minimum age of election to consul for patricians was 40 years of age, for plebeians 42. Two consuls were elected each year, serving together with veto power over each other's actions. Consuls executed both religious and military duties; the reading of. — “Consul - Definition”, - Consuls & diplomats in Australia from the German-speaking countries. — “Consuls & diplomats in Australia from the German-speaking”, .au - The Consuls will be responsible for publishing the first Roman newsletter after entering office. No Consul may be removed from office before the end of his/her term. — “Roman Consuls”, related images for consuls - PTJ13 220609 CONSULS jpg - photo02 600 jpg time=1240696876 - Représentants des collectivités locales De g à d B Casaurang CG 30 J P Boré Région D J Valade Ville Consuls généraux De g à d Espagne Italie Allemagne - quai consuls big img 2 jpg - Saint Antonin Noble Val Tarn et Garonne Maison des Consuls which housed a court of justice ferocious mutual beard pullers on a capital The best of all from the ruined Abbey of La Sauve Majeure Gironde and now in the Cloisters - Les Consuls - PTJ11 220609 CONSULS jpg - The Maison des Consuls Mirepoix proposes you its 8 rooms Secured online booking La Maison des Consuls is situated in a beautiful and widely visited medieval square in the heart of Mirepoix - consuls jpg - agrandir le plan masse - with no separate chassis and MacPherson front struts were used for the first time on a British car It had a live axle with leaf springs at the rear hydraulic drum brakes front rear The Consul had a 1508cc 4 cylinder engine which developed 48bhp mated to a 3 speed column change gearbox with synchromesh only on second and top gear The handbrake was operated by a pull - poisson jpg - Nous allons voir la cathédrale Saint Maurice qui possède la nef la plus large de France Sa flèche de pierre est très belle mais nous apprécions aussi les très nombreuses gargouilles - consuls jpg - PTJ10 220609 CONSULS jpg - photo06 600 jpg time=1240696876 - Une délégation conduite par S E l ambassadeur Richard Zady a pris part aux travaux de la première Conférence des Consuls Honoraires de la Cote d Ivoire du 17 au 22 septembre Palais des - http i108 photobucket com albums n b dscf0008 jpg http i108 photobucket com albums n ob consuls jpg http i108 photobucket com albums n e2b0735c b jpg - Tiberi jpg - Deseas contactar con esta empresa - JPEG 111 7 kb - Klik voor meer foto s Consuls zijn vrijwilligers die inzetbaar zijn voor allerlei verschillende taken op de werkterreinen van de ANWB Zij spelen al sinds de oprichting van de ANWB een - Gubbio le palais des consuls - Ajoutez cette photo à votre Facebook - Girsa Consuls Apt 3 172140446 large JPG - 700 garde des consuls 1775 jpg - Consuls From the Capitoline Hill Museum - cohen jpg - photo07 600 jpg time=1240696876 - XIIème siècle le péché et le châtiment du péché La rédemption n est pas représentée la justice n étant pas concernée par ce concept Sur la gauche de l image on peut voir Adam et Ève vus en gros plan sur la page précédente symbolisant l acte de pécher - > Voir tous les programmes - Mr Howard James Pym Honorary Consul Of Latvia attended the 4th meeting of Honorary Consuls in Riga on the 3rd and 4th of July Latvias Consuls of the World Mr Howard J Pym Honorary Consul of Latvia Pictured above 1st from right 2nd row together with His Excellency Ivars Godmanis Prime Minister of Latvia pictured - la royauté Le Conseil d État eut une activité très importante sous le Consulat et le Ier Empire 1799 1814 C est à lui que l on dut notamment la préparation des codes napoléoniens - Ajoutez cette photo à votre Facebook - The Boys - St Front La cathédrale St Front Centre ville 640x480 640x480 640x480 - moustachus étant punis par les aigles symboles du pouvoir divin d autres pécheresses leurs tresses postiches faits avec les cheveux de religieuses et d indigentes saisies par les becs des aigles aux - Other capitals show a sinful woman in the clutches of a monster though in the context of the Maison des Consuls it might be Justice triumphing over Injustice a pair of mutual beard pullers symbol of strife - Ajoutez cette photo à votre Facebook related videos for consuls - Lake tahoe with the consuls lake tahoe, with the consuls!! me falling!!! Funny - University of Pangasinan: Consuls of Goodwill Faculties/CI's Dance Presentation bonggah! lots of yells! watch it! wink! - British Ambassador & consuls chat to Phuket press Comments by new British Ambassador, Asif Ahmad, on first visit to Phuket; recorded at Millenium Hotel, Patong, on Sunday 27 February 2011 Video starts with his comments on free trade area in ASEAN; then new requirement for UK visa residency applicants who are spouses of British citizens having to pass an English language test before entry is given; then on safety issues for tourists, jet skis and tuk tuks, to be raised with the Phuket Governor in a meeting today; the quarterly meeting of Hon Consuls with Governor; declining comment on Thai PM's possible dual nationality status; Thai visa rules on foreign resident's applications; help for Thai police who lack English skills; (after about 15 mins) British Hon Consul Martin Carpenter joins in with comments on tourist & normal police assistance; his contact details not currently being on Embassy website; any upgrading to consulate level & requests for visa applications in Phuket; police help in accidents; (after 20 mins) Ambassador said Consular staff would soon visit Phuket for temporary services 'surgery' (after 21 mins) British Consul Micheal Han*** comments on UK staff being cut back and replaced by local staff; decision on whether to upgrade to a consulate here; (after 23 mins) Hon Consul on the number of British residents, prisoners, and tourists in Phuket & region; assistance in other southern provinces (after 27 mins) Ambassador on Locate system for British residents to register on but increasing use of social media ... - Massey - Shout (Little Ceasar and the Consuls) - two pro street consuls at classic ford - MFA met Hon Consuls in Phuket pt 1 of 2 (raw video footage of beginning of meeting) International diplomatic representatives in the Andaman region met with senior officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Phuket authorities to lay out clear channels of communication, strengthen relations and enhance mission efficiency It was a busy day on Monday for Consul-Generals and Honorary Consuls representing at least 18 foreign countries as they attended two important meetings in Phuket, both gearing towards improving communication channels among themselves and the Thai authorities. In the morning about 17 Consul-Generals and Honorary Consuls, who are mostly covering Phuket, Phang-Nga and Krabi, had a friendly session with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Protocol Department at the Adamas Resort and Spa on Nai Yang beach. The session was chaired by the Chief of Protocol Department, Mr. Bansarn Bunnag. German Ambassador to Thailand, HE Dr. Hanns Heinrich Schumacher was also present. The meeting discussed clear channels of communication, both in normal times, but with contingency plans in case of emergencies, following international practice. The meeting was shown what's called a 'Phuket Model' design with concise channel of contacts and communication in the wake of any needs to handle stressful situations. The Thai Chief of Protocol told the international representatives that the ministry designated the Chief of the Passport Office in Phuket, Thanawat Sirikul, as the first contact person in the Andaman ... - CONSULS AND YOU.mov Elihu Burrit Library instructional video about Consuls. - Amadou Ballaké et Les 5 Consuls - Ligda remba. 45 rpm disc : Amadou Ballaké et Les 5 Consuls - A la mémoire du regretté Demba / Ligda remba. Amadou Balaké was born in 1944 in Ouahigouya, in the northern-east of Burkina Faso. After the death of his father, he relocated with his mother in the capital of the country, Ouagadougou, where he began to meet several local musicians. Shortly after he went to Mali to work as a chauffeur apprentice, and only returned to Ouagadougou six years later. He worked some time in construction, and then became a taximan. After the loss of his vehicle, he went to Mali and was engaged as a professional musician in the Grand Hotel orchestra. In 1963 he left Mali to play in the Tropicana orchestra in Abidjan, capital of the Ivory Coast, but only six months later he went to Guinea. Leader of the Bafinf Jazz band, he participated there in many musical competitions, and regularly played for president Sékou Touré meetings across the country. He returned to Burkina at the end of the 60's, and became very popular in the country thanks to his work with the Harmonie Voltaïque band. Convided by the Nigerian producer Aboudou Lassissi, he went back to Abidjan at the beginning of the 70's . - Balitang America: Opera Consuls Don Tagala meets up with French Consul Members who are trained by Filipinas to take the stage. - Interview with Bryan Mejia model and the consuls of new york ... Bryan Mejia MODEL INTERVIEW WITH CONSULS SHARING OF NEW YORK AND SOME COMMUNITIES New Yorker,Bryan Mejia MODEL INTERVIEW WITH CONSULS SHARING OF NEW YORK AND SOME NEW COMMUNICATORS YORKEL speech on the launch of his book''ME DETUVE EN EL TIEMPO'' - MFA met Hon Consuls in Phuket pt 2 of 2 (raw video footage of beginning of meeting) International diplomatic representatives in the Andaman region met with senior officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Phuket authorities to lay out clear channels of communication, strengthen relations and enhance mission efficiency It was a busy day on Monday for Consul-Generals and Honorary Consuls representing at least 18 foreign countries as they attended two important meetings in Phuket, both gearing towards improving communication channels among themselves and the Thai authorities. In the morning about 17 Consul-Generals and Honorary Consuls, who are mostly covering Phuket, Phang-Nga and Krabi, had a friendly session with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Protocol Department at the Adamas Resort and Spa on Nai Yang beach. The session was chaired by the Chief of Protocol Department, Mr. Bansarn Bunnag. German Ambassador to Thailand, HE Dr. Hanns Heinrich Schumacher was also present. The meeting discussed clear channels of communication, both in normal times, but with contingency plans in case of emergencies, following international practice. The meeting was shown what's called a 'Phuket Model' design with concise channel of contacts and communication in the wake of any needs to handle stressful situations. The Thai Chief of Protocol told the international representatives that the ministry designated the Chief of the Passport Office in Phuket, Thanawat Sirikul, as the first contact person in the Andaman ... - Consuls General iftar Dinner,August 2010 - Little Caesar & the Consuls - (My Girl) Sloopy One of many versions of this song (originally by the Vibrations), this was a #1 hit in Canada in July of 1965. It peaked at #50 in the US. This version is slower and more emotional than the McCoys more pop oriented version (retitled Hang on Sloopy) which went to #1 in the US later that same year. - (Part 1 of 2)Call by the Delegates of the 5th Ambassadors/Consuls General and Tourism Directors Rizal Hall, Malacanang Palace July 11, 2009 - Jump Jeremiah - Mike Ford & the Consuls British group formed in the 1950s - my handsome and talented nephew, Geoffrey, was part of the group. - Consuls - Runaway Doo Wop - The evolution of gaming consuls Most of the popular consuls and their prices at retail. Final multimedia project. You'll notice i left out the Wii and computer systems. sorry i was time limited when i made this. - university of pangasinan-phinma consuls of goodwill-muriel's talent single ladies - Massey Hall - Hey Baby, Lets Hang On (Little Ceasar and the Consuls) - Consuls Meeting Following the success of the honorary consuls' meetings in Phuket, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that a nationwide gathering of al honorary consuls will be held at the ministry in Bangkok next month. - The Dancing Consuls Philippine Independence Day Party June 15, 2008, Osaka Japan. Can you find Consul General Garcia? - 24 February 2010 The Society of Foreign Consuls in NY NYSE Euronext Opening Bell. The Society of Foreign Consuls in New York rang The Opening Bell. - 4th Ambassadors'/Consuls' General and Tourism Directors' Tou at the Philippine Consulate - SBC Seychelles: Closure of the Honorary Consuls Conference 22-10-09 - HSE 200 Med Relay - 2010 HS State Meet - Consuls Molly Milborn and Kate Henry's Last HS Swim. - CLANS YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBE FOR 10TH LOBBY AL CONSULS SUBSCRIBE - 5th Ambassadors Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour of the Philippines Join us as we embark on another unforgettable trip to the Philippines: The 5th Ambassadors, Consuls General, and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) of the Philippines. The one-of-a-kind tour takes place on July 9-17, 2009. For only $1399, inclusive of round trip international airfare, to and from Manila and San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas, 3-night hotel accommodations at the Dusit Hotel in Makati with daily breakfast, Dinners with cultural shows and entertainment, city tour of Manila, choice of day tour to famous out of town destinations, business opportunities activities, a visit and lunch at Malacanang Palace with tour of the museum, and a photo opportunity with Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Log on to www.experiencphilippines.ph for more details. - French Military March Marche Garde Consuls - Massey Hall - Hang on Sloopy (Little Ceasar and the Consuls) - Former Consuls SMK Sacred Heart '09 / '10 This video is about former consuls at SMK Sacred Heart Sibu( '09 / '10). This video is ONLY for those who knows about it. - university of pangasinan-phinma consuls of goodwill-edcell's talent beautiful in my eyes - Penang set up Council of Foreign Consuls Komtar, June 1st 2010 - Penang has set up the Council of Foreign Consuls which consist of 19 foreign Hon. Consul, Consul-General and other representatives. At the same time, CM Lim Guan Eng also introduced Khoo Kay Peng and Liew Chin Tong as two of several members who will represent Penang in Kuala Lumpur to promote Penang with all the diplomatic offices. - Green Man - Mike Ford & the Consuls 1960s British group. Lead guitar played by the talented Geoff Rich. - Consul Li, Qing and Consul Zhang, Yan At Davis NewStar Chinese School Chinese New Year Celebration 2010 Video by Xu, Feng - Sri Lankan Consuls urged to counter ill informed charges 19/01/2009 President Rajapakse has called on Sri Lankas Consuls abroad to inform the world of the achievements made towards restoring democracy and freedom in the North. They should do so and counter the ill informed charges being made about the plight of the innocent Tamil people there.. - Los consuls - Governor met Hon Consuls in Phuket (raw video footage of beginning of meeting) International diplomatic representatives in the Andaman region met with Phuket authorities to lay out clear channels of communication, strengthen relations and enhance mission efficiency (story continued from 2 videos of morning meeting) In the afternoon, the group had a meeting with the Phuket authorities, chaired by Phuket Governor Wichai Praisa-Ngob at the Provincial Hall. The Chief of Protocol Department, MFA, his deputy and German Ambassador to Thailand were again present. The governor told the foreign envoys that he will make sure that his Thai officials are efficient and friendly to welcome tourists and visitors starting from the airport, emphasizing safety as a main priority for visitors and residents. Apart from establishing concise channels of communication to facilitate work efficiency, the focal issue in the afternoon centred around cases concerning foreigners in Phuket and how people involved are treated. The Provincial Police Commander Pikad Thantipong reported the number of cases concerned with foreign nationals. It was agreed earlier that the ambassadors, consuls or representatives be notified in writing when such cases occurred. Pol. Major General Pikad however admitted that there may be delays in some cases. He pointed out the comparative figure of fatal cases for foreigners in Phuket, stating that in 2008 there was 61 cases, in 2009 there was 28 cases and this year up to August there was 52 fatal cases. In ... - Little Ceasar & The Consuls - You've Really Got A Hold On Me Oldies - National Security Interview: Pro Consuls Frank Sesno talks with Dana Priest and Admirals James Loy and Charles Abbot about the national security issues facing the next administration. - (Part 2 of 2)Call by the Delegates of the 5th Ambassadors/Consuls General and Tourism Directors Rizal Hall, Malacanang Palace July 11, 2009 twitter about consuls Blogs & Forum blogs and forums about consuls “Archived from groups: rec.games.miniatures.warhammer (More info?) Howdy, with the release of 4th, I've divorced the Angels of Vengeance I had from the DA codex, and turned them into Black Consul” — Black Consuls, force review request - Games-General, “Gideon's Blog. Girl On The Right. Glaivester. Gringo Malo's Blog. HBD Books. Hibernia Girl Press Society. Internet128. Issues & Views - The Blog. Jerry Pournelle. Joanne Jacobs. John Derbyshire. John Ray” — : Blog Articles " Mexican Consuls Increase Budget, “ Rome, Historic Battles, History Blog, World History. The senate, considering that the great difficulty and danger, viz. The Consuls. The Roman consuls, in time of war, took command of the armies. The name of the consul upon whom it devolved to carry” — History Blog " Roman consuls, “TRAINING WORKSHOP AND UPDATES FOR CONSULS OF ECUADOR IN THE UNITED STATES updates are directed towards the Consuls of Ecuador in the United” — Embajada de Ecuador - Washington, DC " Blog Archive, “Dallas Fort Worth Architecture, Urban Development, City Issues, City Planning, Public Policy, Public Affairs, Urban Photos, Skyscrapers, High Rises, Towers, Buildings, Discussion Forum with Chat” — Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum - Dallas Protocol to host, “Re: Update on your consuls. hadji hadji@- New provinces II "Antonio Grilo" amg@- Re: The Plebeian cults of Ceres, Liber and Libera. jmath669642reng@-) Alexander I.C.P.M.. Claudia Aprica Re: Update on your consuls. SFP55@- Re: Praefecti/Hispania” — Forum Romanum, “Website design and marketing firm, serving Orange County, Los Angeles County, blog posts about SEO, search engine optimization, social media optimization, SMO, blogs, audio and video podcasts, mobi sites, google, and social networks” — How much does a website cost?: Facebook and Internet Explorer 8, “Groups: Accreditation Editors, Railway Construction, Regional Consuls, The GrapeVine, Turner & Townsend Groups: Brazil, IT Engineering Projects, Regional Consuls. Hello, I think that besides the forum, we need an agenda. We should” — This Regional Consul Forum | The world-wide leader in planning, “this blog. Email. a friend. Contact. Us. Navigate. Site Map. Tuesday 2nd November 2010. Posts Tarn in the beautiful Hotel des Consuls, right in the centre of the” — Hotel Des Consuls | Gordon Frickers' Blog, “New Phuket governor meets honorary consuls on first day at work Gov Tri Augaradacha pays his respects at the statue of King Rama V in front of Phu” — New Phuket Governor Meets Honorary Consuls On First Day At, similar for consuls - state library - csu libraries - ct state - search tips - boolean operators - the connecticut - state university libraries - connecticut state university - the box - press enter - submit button - indian food - together as one - world health organization - roman consuls - roman republican - head of state - list of roman consuls - free encyclopedia - the roman republic - city states - ancient rome - chief magistrates - first consul - roman consul - consul suffectus - the roman - suffect consul - foreign country - american law - britannica concise encyclopedia
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Tomorrow, in Philadelphia, Queen's University professor Arthur B. McDonald is scheduled to receive a half-share of the Benjamin Franklin Institute's annual physics prize. It is the latest in a long series of honours for Prof. McDonald, who was the director of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). As one of the oldest internationally recognized honours for research achievements, the Franklin Medal puts him on an altogether new plane, amidst what the French call les nobelisables.
The scientific prestige surrounding the SNO, which ceased collecting data in November of last year, is still growing. As an experiment, it performed exactly as promised, and in an environment of institutional cost-cutting, it did so at a cost (about $70-million) much lower than that required by other particle-physics projects around the world. For every plaudit the SNO receives, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of Canadians eligible for a share of reflected glory. They ranged from the dozens of physicists who worked on the data-crunching, to the federal bureaucrats who recognized SNO's value and steered clear of it with their budget axes, to the executives at Inco who arranged to set aside space for the project a mile and a half down in the company's Creighton Mine. And let's not forget the miners, who went down into the pit with physicists every day, and during a 1997 strike allowed them to cross a picket line in order to continue their work.
All this was done in the name of hunting the elusive neutrino, a subatomic particle that has no electrical charge and that passes through almost all matter without being stopped or deflected. The existence of neutrinos had been predicted in 1930, and they were first detected in nature as early as 1956, but 40 more years of research had left scientists uncertain whether they possessed any mass. Meanwhile, the sun's interior, a naturally occurring fusion reactor, seemed to be producing only about one-half to one-third as many neutrinos as the so-called Standard Model of particle physics predicted.
The "solar neutrino" problem was a big one. It seemed that scientists would either be required to revise their existing inferential images of the sun's interior, or to do away with the Standard Model itself. For a while it seemed possible that the sun was a lot cooler on the inside than anyone had thought, a discovery that would have had consequences for the ultimate fate of the solar system. Fortunately, when physicists began looking for ways the Standard Model could be modified to allow for the mysteriously low rate of solar neutrino emissions, they realized that if neutrinos did have mass, they were capable of flipping freely in space between three different "flavours" --only one of which earlier neutrino observatories had been capable of observing.
On June 18, 2001, the SNO -- basically a giant tank of heavy water surrounded by cameras that could detect the "flash" created by a single neutrino penetrating to the Earth's core -- solved all of these problems with the release of just one batch of results. It turned out that neutrinos do have mass, that Earth is receiving all three types of neutrinos from the sun and that the total number agrees with established models. Nobel laureate John Bahcall described the discovery in 2004 as "epochal", "revolutionary" and the "fingerprints on the smoking gun" of the solar-neutrino problem.
In the future, the discoveries that the SNO made possible may be placed on a par with Ben Franklin's own research into electricity. Already "neutrino astronomy" is an important field; detectors like SNO will give astronomers early warning of the next supernova in our galactic neighbourhood. As the SNO's "smoking gun" showed, neutrino detection is like having an extra sense to work with when it comes to understanding the solar core. And futurists are spinning wild ideas for neutrinobased imaging and telecommunications -- ideas that now seem as far-fetched, but just as tempting, as alternating current would have been to Franklin.
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TamarinsTamarins live in the rainforests of South America. They are endangered because of deforestation, that is an indicator showing that tamarins are endangered because of the same reason pygmy marmosets are threatened. Pygmy marmosets could be endangered easily. Tamarins have the same diet of sap, fruit, small insects and small buds. Tamarins usually have twins and the father and siblings assist in caring for the babies.
Slightly smaller than squirrels, tamarins are commonly called kings of the jungle because manes around their neck make them look like lions. The lion tamarins are related to pygmy marmosets. They are 12 inches tall not including their tail which can reach up to 17 inches long, and weigh up to 2 pounds. Tamarins jump through trees using their fingers to hold onto branches. Tamarins live in family groups. Parents mate once a year producing 2 offspring per birth. Tamarins live in the eastern forests of Brazil. Tamarins are diurnal. They are sensitive to sunlight so in the day they stay in the dense forests. Tamarins are omnivores. They spend most of their day looking for food like fruits, insects, small lizards, and snakes.
Golden Lion Tamarin
Golden lion Tamarins are about 8-13 inches long not including the tail. If you include the tail they are about 21-26 inches long. The golden lion tamarin lives for 10-15 years
Cotton Top tamarin
Cotton Top tamarins are about 6-12 inches long, with tail being almost 16 inches! Their fur is dark brown and they have white tuft of hair on the top of their heads. Cotton Top Tamarins live for about 16 years.
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Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/21/mars_geysers/
Martian pole freckled with geysers
Unlike anything on Earth
Every spring, the southern polar cap on Mars almost fizzes with carbon dioxide, as the surface is broken by hundreds of geysers throwing sand and dust hundreds of feet into the Martian "air".
The discovery was announced in the journal Nature by researchers at the Arizona State University, based on data from the Thermal Emission Imaging System on the Mars Odyssey orbiter.
Images sent back by the probe showed that as the sun began to warm the pole, the polar cap began to break out in dark spots. Over the days and weeks that followed, these spots formed fan-like markings, and spidery patterns. As the sun rose higher in the Martian sky, the spots and fans became more numerous.
"Originally, scientists thought the spots were patches of warm, bare ground exposed as the ice disappeared," said lead scientist Phil Christensen. "But observations made with THEMIS on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter told us the spots were nearly as cold as the carbon dioxide ice, which is at minus 198 degrees Fahrenheit."
The team concluded that the dark spots were in fact geysers, and the fans that appeared were caused by the debris from the eruptions.
Christensen said: "If you were there, you'd be standing on a slab of carbon-dioxide ice. Looking down, you would see dark ground below the three foot thick ice layer.
"The ice slab you're standing on is levitated above the ground by the pressure of gas at the base of the ice."
He explains that as the sunlight hits the region in the spring, it warms the dark ground enough that the ice touching the ground is vaporised. The gas builds up under the ice until it is highly pressurised and finally breaks through the surface layer.
As the gas escapes, it carries the smaller, finer particles of the soil along with it, forming grooves under the ice. This "spider" effect indicates a spot where a geyser is established, and will form again the following year. ®
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U.S. Presidents: Everything You Need
Who was the first president to live in the White House? Learn about this and other presidential "firsts."
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History of the White House and Washington, D.C. from 1792 to today.
Who was the first U.S. president to be photographed?
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A few fun facts about America's first President of the United States, from this height and weight to his favorite foods.
Grades: PreK–K, 1–2
In this lesson, students read about George Washington and discuss the monument built in his honor. Then they create their own monument to honor a...
Birthplace: Shadwell, Albemarle County, VirginiaReligion: Christian (no specific denomination)College Attended: College of William and Mary,...
Spend a day in the life of the multi-talented man, President Thomas Jefferson, with these informative biographical websites.
The President of the United States has seven roles in his job, from being the Commander-In-Chief to the Guardian of the Economy.
Brief biography of Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States of America.
Timeline of the life of former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford.
Transcript from the February 10, 1995 online interview with former President Gerald R. Ford.
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Important events during the presidency of Jimmy Carter.
President Jimmy Carter agreed to answer seven questions selected from several hundred posted by Scholastic students.
A time line showing the events in Ronald Reagan's life
Read about the vital statistics and important events that happened during the time Ronald Reagan was President of the United States.
President George H.W. Bush answers questions from students.
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Even United States Presidents started out as regular kids! So You Want to Be President? is chock-full of interesting tidbits about our Presidents;...
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Extension activity for Arthur Meets the President by Marc Brown.
Biography of former United States President George Herbert Walker Bush.
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05/10/2012 - Americans love economic mobility. It’s kind of a founding myth for us: We see ourselves as having broken free from rigid, aristocratic Europe to form a meritocracy that guaranteed a chance to move up in the world. Though there has been much talk lately about rising income inequality in the United States, what has worried pundits on both the left and the right has been recent reports that Americans aren’t as economically mobile as citizens in other Western nations.
The Pew Economic Mobility Project has been studying this phenomenon, and is out with a new report examining which regions in America are the most and least mobile. Researchers looked at Americans ages 35 to 39 and then examined their incomes ten years later. The study covered the time period between 1978 and 2007, and tackled three different measures of income mobility: absolute mobility (as measured by inflation-adjusted income growth over time), and relative upward and downward mobility — i.e. movement up or down the socio-economic ladder. In other words, are Americans born poor becoming rich and vice-versa?
Interestingly enough, geographic mobility doesn’t appear have a large effect on economic mobility. That is, it doesn’t matter if you’re born in Maryland or you move there – you’re more likely move up the economic ladder either way. According to Erin Currier, Project Manager of the Pew Economic Mobility Project, individuals who do move states do have better economic mobility, but more than two-thirds of Americans stay in their birth state for the remainder of their lives. Therefore, “Geographic mobility might help an individuals’ economic mobility, [but] it’s not really driving state-level findings as a whole.”
So why are some states more economically mobile than others? This study doesn’t seek to specifically address the causes of relative mobility between states, but there are some important factors that the Economic Mobility Project has found are essential to promoting economic mobility overall, and these include things like like “educational attainment, savings and asset building, and neighborhood poverty during childhood,” according to Currier.
Read the full article, Which States Have the Most Economic Mobility?, on Time's website.
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This Dawn FC (framing camera) image shows some of the undulating terrain in Vesta’s southern hemisphere. This undulating terrain consists of linear, curving hills and depressions, which are most distinct in the right of the image. Many narrow, linear grooves run in various directions across this undulating terrain. There are some small, less than 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) diameter, craters in the bottom of the image. These contain bright material and have bright material surrounding them. There are fewer craters in this image than in images from Vesta’s northern hemisphere; this is because Vesta’s northern hemisphere is generally more cratered than the southern hemisphere.
This image is located in Vesta’s Urbinia quadrangle and the center of the image is 63.0 degrees south latitude, 332.2 degrees east longitude. NASA’s Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Oct. 25, 2011. This image was taken through the camera’s clear filter. The distance to the surface of Vesta is 700 kilometers (435 miles) and the image has a resolution of about 70 meters (230 feet) per pixel. This image was acquired during the HAMO (high-altitude mapping orbit) phase of the mission.
The Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington D.C. UCLA is responsible for overall Dawn mission science. The Dawn framing cameras have been developed and built under the leadership of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany, with significant contributions by DLR German Aerospace Center, Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, and in coordination with the Institute of Computer and Communication Network Engineering, Braunschweig. The Framing Camera project is funded by the Max Planck Society, DLR, and NASA/JPL.
More information about Dawn is online at http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
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Textbook Page 16 Workbook 1-2 Pages 25 - 26
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Description: The next several sections teach some of the most common objects in the home which are also some of the most commonly spoken words. This video begins the "home" series by teaching the names of the rooms themselves. You can use "The House Song" to reinforce what is being taught in these videos.
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Habitat Affects Escape Behavior of Birds
It seems birds of the same species raised in diverse settings behave differently in the face of a threat. Birds raised in an urban environment react differently than country-bred birds when faced with a predator.
A study undertaken by Diego Ibanez-Alamo, researcher at the University of Granada (UGR) and Anders Pape Moller from Paris-Sud University, highlights the fact that urbanization plays an influential role in a bird's survival strategies.
They analyzed the escape techniques of 1,132 birds belonging to 15 species in different rural and urban areas.
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The study showed that city birds have changed their behavior to adapt to new threats like cats, which are their main enemies in an urban habitat, instead of their more traditional enemies in the countryside, such as the sparrow hawk.
"When they are captured, city birds are less aggressive, they produce alarm calls more frequently, they remain more paralyzed when attacked by their predator and they lose more feathers than their countryside counterparts," explained by Juan Diego Ibanez-Alamo.
They were surprised to see that urbanization was directly linked with these differences. This finding gives rise to the concept that escape strategies evolve alongside the expansion of cities.
"It is crucial to discover how birds adapt to transformations in their habitat so that we can decrease their effects," said Ibanez-Alamo..
"Predation change caused by city growth is serious," outlined Ibanez-Alamo.
As the scientist indicates, tactics against their hunters are "crucial" so that birds can adapt to their new environment: "Birds should modify their behavior to be able to survive in cities because if not, they will become extinct at the mercy of urban growth."
These results appear in the journal, Animal Behavior.
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On September 19, the Cary Institute hosted a one-day conference on the impacts of tropical storms Irene and Lee on the Hudson River. Organized by the Hudson River Environmental Society, with leadership from Cary's Stuart Findlay, the forum examined how the river and estuary responded to the storms, which dropped an estimated 12-18 inches of rainfall throughout the Hudson Valley and Catskill regions. Topics included dredging, sediment transport, water quality, impacts to fish, and future management practices.
In late October, Gary Lovett will present his assessment of the health of the Catskill Forest at the second Catskill Environmental Research & Monitoring Conference (CERM). The forum brings together research on the region, to better understand the effects of extreme weather, air pollution, invasive species, biodiversity loss, and habitat fragmentation. The Catskills provide the majority of New York City's drinking water supply; CERM forums help coordinate research and identify research agendas to protect these resources.
In November, Cary Institute will hold a two-day conference examining the effects of climate change on plant, animal, and microbial species. The invitation-only event is being organized by Richard Ostfeld, Shannon LaDeau, and Amy Angert (University of British Columbia). With more than 50 invited experts, the conference's goal is to identify tools that will help lessen the negative effects of climate change on biodiversity, disease risk, extinction, and ecosystem function.
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Bolivia: Coca-chewing protest outside US embassy
Indigenous activists in Bolivia have been holding a mass coca-chewing protest as part of campaign to end an international ban on the practice.
Hundreds of people chewed the leaf outside the US embassy in La Paz and in other cities across the country.
Bolivia wants to amend a UN drugs treaty that bans chewing coca, which is an ancient tradition in the Andes.
But the US has said it will veto the amendment because coca is also the raw material for making cocaine.
The protesters outside the US embassy also displayed products made from coca, including soft drinks, toothpaste, sweets and ointments.
They were supporting a Bolivian government campaign to amend the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs to remove language that bans the chewing of coca leaf.
The convention stipulates that coca-chewing be eliminated within 25 years of the convention coming into effect in 1964.
Bolivia says that is discriminatory, given that coca use is so deeply rooted in the indigenous culture of the Andes.Eradication
The US is opposed to changing the UN convention because it says it would weaken the fight against cocaine production.
In a statement, the US embassy said Washington recognised coca-chewing as a "traditional custom" of Bolivia's indigenous peoples but could not support the amendment.
"The position of the US government in not supporting the amendment is based on the importance of maintaining the integrity of the UN convention, which is an important tool in the fight against drug-trafficking," it said.
The US is the world's largest consumer of cocaine and has been leading efforts to eradicate coca production in the Andes for decades.
Bolivia is the world's first biggest producer of cocaine after Peru and Colombia, and much of its coca crop is used to make the illegal drug.
Bolivian President Evo Morales has long advocated the recognition of coca as a plant of great medicinal, cultural and religious importance that is distinct from cocaine.
As well as being Bolivia's first indigenous head of state, Mr Morales is also a former coca-grower and leader of a coca-growers trade union.
The Bolivian amendment would come into effect on 31 January only if there were no objections.
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The history of Cornell University’s South Asia Collection dates from 1868 when Cornell’s President Andrew D. White went to Europe armed with formidable lists of books and apparatus to be collected. He made large purchases of scientific and literary works. One of the most important of his acquisitions was the library of one of the founders of historical linguistics, Franz Bopp (1791-1867). Fully one-third of Bopp’s approximately five thousand volume collection was comprised of Indological subject matter. Since the beginning, Cornell University has continued to build on the initial strength of the Bopp library, acquiring complete collections of most of the important serials and monographs in this field.
Today, with material from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, the South Asia Collection is the fourth largest in the United States and the largest intershelved collection combining both Indic and Western languages.
Collections in rural sociology, anthropology, communications, education, regional planning and art history are also noteworthy among the South Asia Collection. The holdings include the Gandhi Memorial Library, which Cornell received as a gift in 1949. The South Asia Collection has grown steadily with gifts from the government of India and individuals in this country, as well as substantial library acquisitions.
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Cougar sightings in Louisiana not that long ago were considered figments of the imagination of spooked hunters, hikers and others in the outdoors.
A citizen sent LDWF a trail camera picture taken Aug. 13, 2011. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager Maria Davidson and biologist Brandon Wear conducted a site investigation that confirmed the authenticity of the photograph.
“It is quite possible for this animal to be captured on other trail cameras placed at deer bait sites,” Davidson said. “Deer are the primary prey item for cougars; therefore, they are drawn to areas where deer congregate.”
It is unlikely this cougar will remain in any one area longer than it would take to consume a kill. Cougars do not prefer to eat spoiled meat and will move on as soon as the Louisiana heat and humidity take its toll on the kill.
“It is impossible to determine if the animal in the photograph is a wild, free-ranging cougar, or an escaped captive,” Davidson added. “Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held ‘pets’ in the state.”
LDWF has documented several occurrences since 2002. The first cougar sighting was in 2002 by an employee at Lake Fausse Point State Park. That sighting was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site.
Three trail camera photos were taken of a cougar in Winn, Vernon and Allen parishes in 2008. Subsequently on Nov. 30, 2008, a cougar was shot and killed in a neighborhood by Bossier City Police Department.
The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are names that all refer to the same animal. Their color ranges from lighter tan to brownish grey. The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although LDWF receives numerous calls about black panthers, there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.
The vast majority of these reports received by LDWF cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. Many of the calls are determined to be cases of mistaken identity, with dog tracks making up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.
The significant lack of physical evidence indicates that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills.
The recent sightings of cougars in Louisiana are believed to be young animals dispersing from existing populations. An expanding population in Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.
Cougars that occur in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law. Penalties for taking a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the taking of a cougar should call the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. Callers may remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.
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|Freshwater Mussels of the Upper Mississippi River System|
Mussel Conservation Activities
2005 Highlights: Possible fish predation of subadult Higgins eye was observed in the Upper Mississippi River, Pools 2 and 4.
Subadult Higgins eye pearlymussels (Lampsilis higginsii) from the Upper Mississippi River, Pools 2 and 4. Shell damage may be due to predation by fish (i.e. common carp or freshwater drum). Top photo by Mike Davis, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; bottom photo by Gary Wege, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Species Identification and Location • Threatened and Endangered Mussels • Life History • Ecology • Mussel Harvest on the River • Current Threats • Mussel Conservation Activities • Ongoing Studies and Projects • Multimedia • Teacher Resources • Frequently Asked Questions • Glossary • References • Links to Other Mussel Sites
Privacy • FOIA • FirstGov • Contact
Department of the Interior • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service • U.S. Geological Survey
|Last updated on
December 21, 2006
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Peter PanLiterary Hero
Best known as:
Fanciful boy hero of Peter Pan
Peter Pan is the mischievous hero of J.M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan. Peter is "the boy who never grew up," a fantastical figure who visits the bedroom of the Darling children (Wendy, John and Michael) and flies them away to Neverland. There the children meet Peter's loyal troupe of lost boys, and have adventures and battles with the nefarious Captain Hook. The character of Peter went through several versions, from a 1902 book The Little White Bird to Barrie's hugely successful 1904 play. Barrie published the story as prose in 1911, under the title of Peter and Wendy. In 1953, Walt Disney made a hit animated movie out of a cleaned up version the story, and a 1954 Broadway musical version of the play earned a Tony award for Mary Martin, who played Peter. In films Peter has been played by Jeremy Sumpter (Peter Pan, 2003) and Robin Williams (Hook, 1991) among many others. Peter Pan is also the star of a series of adventure stories for children by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, starting with Peter and the Starcatcher (2004).
Peter Pan is assisted by a tiny fairie named Tinkerbell, who carries a lighted wand; she has become one of the signature figures of the Walt Disney empire... Late singer Michael Jackson called his extravagant California ranch "Neverland"... In Barrie's story, Peter tells Wendy he lives "Second to the right, then straight on till morning." In some productions this has been changed to "Second star to the right, then straight on till morning"... Peter is usually played onstage by women, a tradition started with the original 1904 production; gymnast Cathy Rigby and actress Sandy Duncan played the role often later in the 20th century... In 1929, Barrie donated the rights to Peter Pan to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.
Copyright © 1998-2013 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.
More on Peter Pan from Infoplease:
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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paramagnetism n (Physics) the phenomenon exhibited by substances that have a relative permeability slightly greater than unity and a positive susceptibility. The effect is due to the alignment of unpaired spins of electrons in atoms of the material Compare →
electron paramagnetic resonance
n (Physics) another name for →
electron spin resonance (Abbrev.)
English Collins Dictionary - English Definition & Thesaurus
Add your entry in the Collaborative Dictionary.
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"Collins English Dictionary 5th Edition first published in 2000 © HarperCollins Publishers 1979, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000 and Collins A-Z Thesaurus 1st edition first published in 1995 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995"
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Start Your Visit WithHistorical Timelines
General Interest Maps
Al Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 17, 1899, to Neapolitan immigrants Gabriel and Teresa Caponi. Originally named Alphonse Caponi, his name was Americanized to "Al Capone."
In 1904, at the age of five, young Alphonse started his school career at Public School 7 in Brooklyn. School was tough for Capone. The teachers were not tolerant of immigrant children and often used physical force as a means of discipline. Capone always had a problem with authority, and by the time he entered sixth grade, his grades began to drop drastically. At 14, Capone started a fist fight with a teacher, was expelled, and never returned to school again.
Shortly after he was expelled, his father moved the family to 21 Garfield Place, in the neighborhood that would influence the direction of Capone's life and ultimately, his future. Capone joined two local street gangs, the Brooklyn Rippers and the Forty Thieves Juniors. Among the members were Johnny Torrio and Lucky Luciano.
As a young man, Capone held many odd jobs, from a candy store clerk to a bowling alley pinboy. Capone entered organized crime when he went to work for gangster Frankie Yale, at his club the Harvard Inn. It was here that Capone received his nickname, “Scarface,” after being attacked by a man for insulting his sister. It also was here that Capone was arrested for the first time.
While attending a dance in 1918, Capone met Mary “Mae” Coughlin. On December 4, 1918, she gave birth to their son, Albert “Sonny” Francis. Shortly after, they were married and Capone moved his family to Chicago.
Once in Chicago, Capone went to work for Johnny Torrio, an influential lieutenant in the Colosimo Mob. Soon after, the leader, Big Jim Colosimo, was murdered and Johnny Torrio took over with Capone at his side. By 1922 Capone had become a full partner with Torrio in his gambling houses, saloons, and brothels.
In 1925, after being seriously wounded, Torrio retired and Capone became boss. By then, rival gang members considered Capone ruthless, and posed little threat to his plans for taking over the Chicago “racketeering rights.” Any rival gang posing a threat to his plans was either destroyed, or diminished greatly in size, leaving full reign to Capone.
Between 1925 and 1930, Capone controlled the majority of Chicago's vice industry, including speakeasies, bookie joints, brothels, horse and race tracks, gambling houses and distilleries. His reported income was estimated to be $100 million a year. Along with all his illegal holdings, Capone also held a large interest in Chicago's largest cleaning and dyeing plant chain.
Although Capone was responsible for several murders, he always had an alibi and was usually out of town when the killings occurred. The most notorious killing was committed on February 14, 1929, which became known as “The St. Valentine's Day Massacre.” Capone ordered four of his men, dressed in police uniforms, to enter a garage on North Clark street. This was the headquarters of George “Bugs” Moran's bootleg operations and North Side Gang. When the Moran gang dropped their guns and put their hands against the wall, Capone's men gunned them down. Six Moran gang members and an innocent friend were shot. Moran, who was the intended target, was across the street at the time.
Although Capone both ordered and committed murders himself, he also had another side. Shortly after the stock market crash of 1929, he opened soup kitchens and arranged for local merchants to give away food and clothing to needy people, at his own expense.
Due to gangland's traditional refusal to press charges, Capone was neither charged nor tried for many of his crimes. In 1926 he was arrested for murdering three people, spent the night in jail and then was released due to lack of evidence. Capone's first jail sentence was in May 1929, but he was charged only for carrying a gun. By 1930, Capone topped Chicago's list of the 28 worst criminals and designated as “Public Enemy Number One.”
In 1931, after years of criminal activity, Capone was indicted on twenty-three counts of income tax evasion. Judge James H. Wilkerson found him guilty on five of the twenty-three counts and sentenced him to 10 years in federal prison and fines in the amount of $50,000. He also was sentenced to one year in county jail for an earlier contempt-of-court charge.
In May 1932, Capone was sent to Atlanta State Prison, where he quickly established himself as a kingpin within the prison and began taking control. In order to stop his influence, he was transferred to Alcatraz to finish out his sentence. Alcatraz was cut off from the rest of the world, and with no other gang members residing there, Capone soon found there was nothing over which to gain control. Capone tried to earn time off for good behavior by becoming the model prisoner.
During his stay at Alcatraz, Capone began to show signs of syphilitic dementia and spent the balance of his felony sentence in the hospital. On January 6, 1939, he was transferred to Terminal Island to carry out his misdemeanor sentence. On November 16, 1939, Capone was released from prison.
After a short stay in the hospital, Capone returned to his home in Palm Island, Florida, to spend the rest of his life in peace and quiet. Due to his dementia, his mind was rapidly deteriorating and he was no longer strong enough to run the outfit. On January 21, 1947, Capone suffered an apoplectic stroke and was hospitalized. On January 24, pneumonia set in and Capone died the next day.
Capone was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery between the graves of his father and brother until March 1950, when the remains of all three were moved to Mount Carmel Cemetery on the far West Side of Chicago.
---- Selected Quotes ----
Quotes by Al Capone.
You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.
I make my money by supplying a public demand. If I break the law, my customers, who number hundreds of the best people in Chicago, are as guilty as I am. Everybody calls me a racketeer. I call myself a businessman.
Comment in 1925
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Cicero Revisited by Douglas Deuchler.
Strategically located seven miles west of Chicago’s Loop, multifaceted Cicero is one of the oldest and largest municipalities in Illinois. In the late...
Only Yesterday by Frederick L. Allen.
Prohibition. Al Capone. The President Harding scandals. The revolution of manners and morals, Black Tuesday. These are only an inkling of the events a...
Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster by Jonathan Eig.
Based on newly released government documents and wiretaps, Get Capone tells the story how the nation's most-wanted criminal was really caught. This bo...
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Dry, flaky skin, also referred to as xerosis, not only looks unattractive, it can be uncomfortably tight and itchy. In severe cases, the skin is so dry that fissures and cracks develop which can become inflamed or infected. The symptoms worsen in the winter months when skin is exposed to dry air and heat, but some people deal with xerosis all year round.
Dry skin is caused by a lack of moisture in the outer layer of the skin. The outermost layer of the skin contains lipids. These lipids consist of ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol that help to hold in water and prevent dryness. People with dry skin often have lower levels of ceramides. This affects the skin’s ability to retain moisture. When the outer layer of skin is too dry, skin cells aren’t shed properly and the cells build up on the surface of the skin causing it to look rough and flaky.
Some people are prone towards dry skin genetically, but lifestyle habits play a role too. Ceramides that keep skin moist and supple can be stripped away by using harsh cleansers and detergents, washing skin in hot water, exposing skin to chemicals, frequent bathing and exposure to dry air or extremes in temperature. Areas with the fewest oil glands such as the extremities and trunk are most susceptible.
It’s important to reduce your skin’s exposure to elements that damage the lipid layer and remove moisture from the skin. Some people live in homes with a low humidity. Adding a home humidifier to increase moisture in the air is a simple way to sooth dry, irritated skin. Staying covered up outdoors in the winter helps too.
Another problem that aggravates xerosis is excessive exposure to water, especially hot water. Dry skin was less common years ago when people didn’t have the convenience of taking a shower every day. Using harsh cleansers and bath products including soap also worsen the problem by stripping away the lipids and oils that keep skin moist. A better alternative is to use a soap-free cleanser which contains ingredients that remove dirt while helping to repair the protective lipid barrier. Keep baths short, and use warm, not hot, water. A brief shower is a better alternative.
After cleansing, it’s important to moisturize. Pat skin dry and immediately apply a layer of moisturizer while skin is still slightly damp. Choose one that contains ingredients known to be effective for dry skin such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, alpha-hydroxy acids or urea. Alpha-hydroxy acids have the additional advantage of smoothing the skin surface and improving its texture so it reflects light better, making skin look more youthful. Stay away from lanolin and fragrance which can irritate the skin.
A lotion works well for xerosis on the body, but creams are better for treating facial dryness. Select a product which contains hyaluronic acid and glycerin along with other moisturizers such as shea butter and safflower seed oil to retain moisture. Using a combination of moisturizers also helps to smooth out the appearance of fine lines and makes skin feel supple and silky.
Dry skin is more than just a cosmetic problem. It can make skin feel itchy and uncomfortable. Fortunately, it can be treated by making a few lifestyle changes and using the right skin care products.
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Stretching from Céadaoin an Spiaire to Máirt Chásca, there are enough special days surrounding Easter to give a specific Irish name for each day of the week. Since there are already several forms for each day, aside from Easter usage, let’s look at them grouped together in a chart. That will enable us to focus on changes like initial mutation (séimhiú, urú), h-prefixation, and endings (an tuiseal ginideach)
Even for ordinary purposes, each day has at least two forms, one for the day as a subject or concept (like “An Luan,” Monday, lit. “the” Monday) and one used to say when something is happening (like “Dé Luain,” lit. “on the day of” Monday).
This chart has four columns, the first one giving forms that would rarely occur on their own. For these, I have followed the linguistic practice of putting a réiltín in front of them. It’s not that these forms are completely hypothetical (as we might find in historical linguistic reconstruction), it’s just that they would almost always be part of a two-word phrase, sometimes an even longer phrase. From this “root,” we get the subject form (An Luan), and, by following genitive case rules, we get the preposition form (Dé Luain). Hmmm, you might ask, why genitive case (possessive) rules when using a preposition phrase? It’s because “Dé,” when preceding a day of the week, functions as a preposition but is really a noun. This “Dé” comes from the word “dia” (note lower-case), which is an alternate word for “day” in Irish, now somewhat archaic, or, we could say, fossilized. This process is much like what happens with “cois” in the phrase “cois na tine,” where “cois” (from “cos,” foot, leg) is really a noun but functions like a preposition, resulting in the meaning “by the fire” (lit. “at the foot of the fire”).
Some of the words in the chart will also be changed if they’re in a prepositional phrase starting with “ar an,” as in “ar an gCéadaoin” (lit. on “the” Wednesday). Ulster Irish will have lenition in these cases (Chéadaoin).
Unlike “lá,” which seems to be unique in the Indo-European panorama of languages (except for Scottish Gaelic “latha” and Manx “laa”), the word “dia”/”dé” is a cognate to other European words for “day,” such as “dies,” “dydd,” “tag,” and even “day” itself (plus, less directly, “jour” from Latin “diurnus”). So, somewhat unusually, the word “lá” isn’t used in the names of the days of the week. But you probably noticed that already!
The “dia” form of “day” also shows up in the old spellings of the Irish words for “today” and “yesterday,” which are “indiu” and “indé.”
So here’s the chart. Hope you find it helpful. There are additional notes for three of the terms below.
|“Root”||Subject Form||“Dé” Form (w “tuiseal ginideach” ending)||“ar an” Form||Easter Terms|
|*Domhnach||An Domhnach||Dé Domhnaigh||ar an Domhnach||Domhnach Cásca|
|*Luan||An Luan||Dé Luain||ar an Luan||Luan Cásca|
|*Máirt||An Mháirt||Dé Máirt||ar an Máirt, alt., ar an Mháirt (U)||Máirt Chásca (2)|
|*Céadaoin||An Chéadaoin||Dé Céadaoin, or alt., Dé Céadaoine (U)||ar an gCéadaoin, alt. ar an Chéadaoin (U)||Céadaoin an Spiaire, (? Céadaoin Naofa) (3)|
|*Déardaoin||An Déardaoin||Déardaoin (1)||ar an Déardaoin, ar Déardaoin||Déardaoin (na) Mandála|
|*Aoine||An Aoine||Dé hAoine (h-prefix)||ar an Aoine||Aoine an Chéasta|
|*Satharn||An Satharn||Dé Sathairn||ar an Satharn, alt. ar an tSatharn (U)||Satharn Cásca|
1) Although it’s not often explicitly stated, “Dé” is not needed before “Déardaoin” because it’s already built into the word. Having said that, a recent Google search brought up about 300 hits for “Déardaoin” with “Dé” in front of it! Either the usage is changing, or these are all just slip-ups. Bhur mbarúlacha, a léitheoirí?
2) I noted last year (http://blogs.transparent.com/irish/?s=Eastertide) that I found no instances of “Máirt Chásca” being used online for “Easter Tuesday,” but, interestingly, this year I found three hits. The three are duplicates (sigh!) and all refer to the founding of the Kilkenny branch of the Gaelic League in 1897. However else the phrase may be used or not used, it’s interesting to note this designation as opposed to just saying “April 20th,” which was the date of Easter Tuesday in 1897, if http://www.easterbunny.com/date-of-easter/easter-date-for-1897.html serves me right. Go raibh maith agat, a Choinín Cásca! An ceann ponc com, that is!
Of course, there is a long-standing tradition in both Irish and British writing of dating certain events by referring to a holiday, instead of a date, as in the réamhráite of “An Fear Eagair,” in Myles na gCopaleen’s parody An Béal Bocht being written on “Lá an Ghátair” [Day of Distress] and “Lá an Luain” [Day of Doom]. Or, more straightforwardly, the preface to C. S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength, dated “Christmas Eve, 1943.” It’s not a practice I’ve seen used much in American literature.
As for the general significance of Easter Tuesday, as noted last year, I still see it listed as a public holiday in just one place, An Tasmáin. There it is described as a “restricted public holiday currently observed by certain awards/agreements and the State Public Service (http://www.wst.tas.gov.au/employment_info/public_holidays). Suimiúil! A New Zealand site (http://www.principalskit.org.nz/support-staff/) discusses Easter Tuesday as a potential holiday for employees of New Zealand Educational Institute, but they must have served 10 years and they must incorporate it into their annual leave. I don’t quite get that last bit, but I guess it doesn’t really matter. Suffice it to say that Easter Tuesday may have greater recognition elsewhere than seems apparent in 21st-century America. Many American school districts simply make their Spring Break surround Easter and avoid all discussion as to whether the break has anything to do with Easter at all.
3) There are plenty of references to the Wednesday before Easter being called “Céadaoin an Spiaire” (Wednesday of the Spy) in Irish, but for “Céadaoin Naofa” (the presumed form for “Holy Wednesday”), my search online turned up one questionable reference (in a very mixed-up hybrid site) and in dictionaries I found nothing. As I understand it, the term “Spy Wednesday” has been changed to “Holy Wednesday,” but I simply don’t find much evidence of this usage in Irish and I also can’t find an exact year for the change. Vatican II? If it were that long ago, I’d expect to find more evidence of “Céadaoin Naofa” online. Maybe I’m just barking up the wrong tree, but between Google searches, online dictionaries and hard-copy dictionaries, I usually find some evidence of what I’m looking for, vocabulary-wise. Of course, I always try to build on what I’ve heard and read in everyday usage for years, but I do like to check these sources for more specific information. Btw, I also found nothing under the old spelling, which would be “Céadaoin Naomhtha,” but of course, the formal date of the change, assuming there is one, might preclude that. Hmmm. Lenited and eclipsed versions of the above? Amas ar bith! (No hits) and no luck in dictionaries. Sin sin go dtí an bhliain seo chugainn, is dócha.
And, last but not least, a bit of Google-based trivia that some of you may find amusing as I did. When I tried searching for “Máirt Chásca” without comharthaí athfhriotail and without sínte fada, the first hit (of 7,360,000!) that came up was for the K-Mart in Chaska, Minnesota. Wonders never cease! On that bemused note, SGF, Róislín
P.S. Anyone still wondering about the phrase “Aimsir na Cásca”? Why “weather”? Answer: here it’s not “weather.” “Aimsir” can mean “time,” “tense,” or “tide” in the sense of “time.” So “Aimsir na Cásca” is “Eastertide.”
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(Student produced study guide from Foss, Foss, and Trapp )
characterized by the use of the scientific method and based on the presumption that we (people) can know objectively and comprehend the objects around us. (146)
forms of understanding from which reality is to be deduced. (146)
refers to the philosophical movement and is not based on the problem of existence, but deals with the problem of words, and the ways of rhetorically thinking and speaking that were perfected as a way of philosophizing in the 15th Century. (147)
deals with scientific objectivity, universality, and rational deduction over other ways of knowing the world. (148) Cogito ergo sum: "I think; therefore I am." This is a self- evident axiom and is based on the human power to apprehend reality by means of reason. (146)
what in essence, separates the human being from the animal. (149)
ability to make adjustments in nature simply because we are humans. (149)
the basic process by which humans gain control over nature; refers to a basic capacity to grasp what is common or similar in ideas or experiences. (151)
"It leads to light because it stems from the need to see: that which is not obvious...is to be transferred," (154) and provides the connection between rhetorical and rational speech. (158)
fundamental or original principle upon which philosophical arguments are based. (155)
illuminates historical fact, making a situation concrete, relevant and understandable using metaphor and imagery. (157)
deductive in nature and achieving its effect through logical demonstration. (157)
a "system" of signs whose elements receive meaning through and within this system. Morse code is an example. (159)
superficial and mistaken definition of rhetoric, as a technical art of persuasion, that acts on emotions to form beliefs. (159)
practice, or doing. Reality is manifested in concrete situations.
coming to terms with things by studying words individually.
choosing what perspective to take in a situation; the unveiling of an essential meaning.
approaches in research which are concerned with human's role in constructing rhetorical knowledge rather than with the possibility of objective knowledge (165)
A. Grassi's education was the product of two opposing philosophic traditions: German Idealism and Italian Humanism.
1. Grassi's background of Italian Humanism was challenged at the University of Freiburg, where German philosophy dominated.
2. The dissonance of the two views led Grassi to examine his own beliefs more carefully, from which he determined that rhetoric constitutes the foundation of human thought.
B. Two people were especially influential in differentiating the two philosophies for Grassi.
1. Bertando Spaventa's (Italian philosopher of the late nineteenth century), following statement left an impression on Grassi. "The development of German thought is natural, free, and independent, in a word, it is critical. The development of Italian thought is unsteady, hindered, and dogmatic. This is the great difference." (p.145)
2. Martin Heidegger, a German philosopher who worked with Grassi for ten years in Freiburg, held a strongly negative attitude towards Italian philosophy. Heidegger's attitude was influential in causing Grassi to seriously consider the value of both German philosophy and Italian philosophy.
A. In order to understand Grassi's approach to rhetoric, more precise definitions are needed for the Scientific Tradition and Italian Humanism.
1. Scientific Tradition is based on objective knowledge.
a. Rational deduction is at the core of the scientific method and involves starting from the premises and deriving the inferences already inherent in them.
b. Grassi lists three limitations of this scientific paradigm, which he believes constrain what is studied as philosophy.
i. The scientific method examines first principles, but not their sources.
ii. The scientific method focuses on quantification.
iii Scientific thought is concerned only with universals.
2. Grassi's Italian Humanism refers to a philosophical movement.
a. Grassi's Humanism is Platonic and Aristotelian in orientation.
b. Grassi's Humanism is concerned with "the problem of words, metaphorical thought, and rhetorical thinking."
c. Grassi's Humanists sought to understand ways in which humans respond to a set of demands from the world and, by their linguistic choices, reveal the way they view this world around them.
B. The Scientific Approach was in direct opposition to Grassi's Humanist Approach. (p.147)
1. The Scientific approach deals with objectivity while the Humanist approach deals with distinctions and contextual variations.
2. The Scientific Approach came to dominate philosophy, while the Humanists were seen as searching for and moving toward this position.
3. Grassi believed that the Scientific Method was one tool for understanding, while Humanism dealt with broader areas and combined the areas of rhetoric and philosophy.
A. Grassi believed Vico represents the thought of Italian Humanism most fully.
1. Vico considered the rise of human history to be the basic problem of philosophy.
2. History is what differentiates humans from animals.
B. Grassi's support for Humanist thought is based in Vico's conception of the humanization of nature. (p.150)
1. Grassi has a term called "meeting the claims or demands of life."
a. All living beings experience the world using their senses, and inherently organize their environment to meet their basic needs.
b. Animals rely on instinct to function.
2. The human process is very complex.
a. Humans can choose and aren't limited to actions of instinct.
b. Humans can define images through language and therefore can interpret the world in different ways.
3. Humanization or historication of nature occurs when:
a. Humans become aware of these capabilities.
b. They begin to make adjustments in nature, or "direct their own destinies."
4. Humans must take sensory level meanings and translate them into an intellectual level.
5. The clearing of forests and the cultivating of land is the first unfolding of human consciousness. (p.151)
6. This feeling of control over nature wasn't a sudden change: there were three developing stages.
a. In the Cultural Age, humans felt they were a part of the cultural world.
b. In the Age of Heros, combination of heros and gods (superhuman benefactors) were seen as helping humans by introducing social institutions and laws.
c. In the Age of Humanity, humans realized that they could control nature.
C. Humans gain control over nature using the Ingenium, which is the process of humanization. (p.151)
1. Ingenium transfers meaning from the sensory world to a higher human one.
2. Ingenium frees humans by allowing them to see relationships and making connections in experience which are needed to think new thoughts.
D. There are three basic ways in which Ingenium is manifest to create the humans world. (p.152)
1. Imagination functions to grasp control of reality into two ways.
a. Imagination allows humans to realize that they are not bound to nature in the same way that animals are bound. (152)
b. Imagination allows humans to explain the world around them. It allows us to select certain interpretations of what we sense and allows us to define and order.
2. Work allows us to make and interpret connections of the sensory phenomena. Work allows us to act upon those interpretations made by our imagination. (p.153)
3. Language allows us to name and assign meanings to things in the world. By naming something we create a reality apart from the world.
E. Humanists sought to understand things in the context of practical human action.
1. Praxis is action: the application of abstract philosophical concepts into concrete situations. (p.153)
2. Grammarians examine words and interpret the abstract human condition in combination with individual action. (p.154)
A. Grassi refers to Aristotle and Cicero to define the metaphor.
1. Aristotle: "[The metaphor allows us] to see the similarity between what is actually the most widely separated."
2. Cicero's definition of metaphor said it was like a "light" which gives insight into a "relationship."
B. Metaphor transfers insight on several levels. (p.154)
1. At the most basic level, the metaphor allows us to grasp similarities between two unrelated things.
a. The metaphor operationalizes ingenium by allowing the human to connect himself/herself to the world of senses.
b. We relate to nature in human terms.
2. Language works metaphorically, transferring insight.
a. Language is symbolic because it helps us relate two dissimilar things.
b. Language helps us interpret and connect to our world and experiences.
3. The process of philosophizing is metaphoric.
a. A philosophical argument cannot be made without understanding the first principle.
b. First principles are nonrational and "experienced" as an "urge."
c. Philosophical systems are constructed with a first principle as the base.
d. The similarities we make between "urges" to understand philosophical problem and the actual logical arguments we use are metaphorical.
A. Grassi discusses the superiority of rhetorical language over rational speech.
1. Rhetorical language adapts various uses of imagery to illuminate historical fact and make it concrete, while rational speech is deductive and achieves effect through logical demonstration.
2. Rhetorical language deals with concrete particulars of life, while rational speech is universal and abstract.
3. Rhetorical language is like dialogue because it takes the world into account, while rational speech is monologic and has no need to interact.
4. Rhetorical language concentrates in images, symbols and metaphors, while rational speech is grounded in logical events and chronology.
5. Rhetorical language goes beyond a formal system, while rational speech is set in a "code" and can only move through the use of metaphor, which is indicative of rhetorical speech.
B. A third form of speech identified by Grassi is "external rhetorical speech."
1. This is the superficial and mistaken definition of rhetoric as a technical art of persuasion.
2. This is "false speech" because images do not stem directly from metaphors or nature, but a limited understanding of nature and its images.
A. Many feel that rhetoric is only the form of a message, while philosophy supplies factual content.
B. Humanists see rhetoric in a positive light, as a way to make logical reasoning palatable to an audience.
C. Grassi sees no separation of passion from logic.
1. The power of a message derives from its starting point in images that inspire wonder, admiration, engagement and passion.
2. Rhetoric, rather than logical deduction, is the true philosophy since it undertakes questions about the process by which "humans know, interpret, and create their world."
D. The emphasis on science in the Western world has resulted in this separation of content from form, and contrasts with the World View of the humanists. (p.161)
1. Without scientific proof, an idea will not be believed.
2. We have forgotten that we need to study the insights upon which these calculations are based.
E. There are many consequences for society that over-values the rational paradigm.
1. Those who believe in the "primacy of logic" and the ability for technology to deal with all problems tend to have an attitude of superiority.
a. Humans see their rationality as giving them a dominance over all things.
b. This actually limits humans' capability to fully interpret all things.
2. This affects our relationships with other cultures who do not share this attitude.
a. We see these cultures as being underdeveloped.
b. This view makes it impossible to fully understand them and constricts our interactions with them.
3. Logical thought has become synonymous with the domination of humans. (p.162)
4. The dawning of the atomic age is the ultimate example of humans' need to dominate nature.
F. The rational approach which has dominated Western culture has been detrimental to philosophy.
A. Renaissance Humanism defined folly as speaking irrationally without reason.
B. Grassi studied literature for examples of folly, defining it instead as the ability, using language, to choose the perspective to take on a situation to unveil something's essence. (p.163)
1. Folly is an engagement of ingenium
2. Folly is the fundamental process by which humans move from the nonhuman to the human realm.
3. Folly, as an extension of ingenium, allows humans to imagine themselves in new situation and to deal with these situations effectively.
A. Grassi's ideas of rhetoric are not well known among communication scholars.
1. Grassi has published in English only in Philosophy and Rhetoric and there are few essays or discussions on his work.
2. Grassi asserts the contributions of Italian Humanism to rhetoric and philosophy rather than with fully developing the contemporary implications of the philosophic perspective.
B. Grassi made several important contributions to rhetoric from the Humanistic perspective.
1. Grassi asserts that rhetoric and philosophy are necessarily connected, since rhetoric is the starting point of philosophy.
2. Grassi preference of thought, speech, and action made from connections with nature (ingenium) rather than from logical reasoning is similar to the "new paradigm."
3. Grassi's notion of folly allows humans choices in how they perceive the world they live in.
4. Grassi's work generated renewed interest in Renaissance Humanism.
5. Grassi gives new significance to rhetorical speech and asks us to reconceptualize our definition of rhetoric.
Grassi, Ernesto "Italian Humanism and Heidegger's Thesis of the End of Philosophy," Philosophy and Rhetoric, 13 (Spring 1980), 83. In this article, Grassi points to the parallelism between Heidegger's German Idealistic thought and the Italian Humanist tradition in order to create a historical framework in which to make evident the problems of Humanism in relation to present day. This article, separated into ten major ideas, begins with the End of Metaphysics and ends with Heidegger's Theory of the Brutality of the Being. In between these two major points, as Grassi explains Heidegger's Twofold thesis, the Traditional Model of Scientific Thought, the basic problem of Italian Humanism, The Question of the Veil of the Poetic Word, and the "clearing" of the Primordial Forest.
Grassi, Ernesto Die Macht des Bildes, 221, cited in Walter Veit, "The Potency of Imagery - the Impotence of Rational Language: Ernesto Grassi's Contribution to Modern Epistemology," Philosophy and Rhetoric, 17 (1984), 235. Veit gives analysis to some of Grassi's theories in this article. Grassi once again confronts the separation of logical reasoning and rhetoric. Many of Grassi's ideas have literally reconstructed the philosophical dimension of rhetoric in the eyes of contemporary Italian Humanists. Much of this article is similar to the subjects covered in FFT, and it even helps in the understanding since it gives different explanations and examples to similar material. Emphasis is placed on some of the ideals of eighteenth century philosopher Giambattista Vico, who Grassi found as a source for some of his rhetorical ideas. Once again, it is stated that Grassi believed that the philosophical revolution began with the Italian Humanists, who showed that philosophy gains insight into the principles "through the creativity of the image."
Grassi, Ernesto "Humanistic Rhetorical Philosophizing: Giovanni Pontano's Theory of the Unity of Poetry, Rhetoric, and History," Philosophy and Rhetoric, 17 (1984), 146. This article is simply Grassi's analysis and reaction to Potano's theories. It gives the reader some idea of the process of critical thinking that Grassi goes through in regards to the ideas of others. It is standard to differentiate between logic and rhetoric. The premises resulting from a rational process as exemplified by traditional metaphysics are necessary and universally valued. Rhetoric is bound by time and place, and it must use metaphor and images in order to be effective. In order for metaphor to be effective, there must be a common viewpoint shared between source and receiver which permits the audience to see the relationship of the metaphor. The unity of poetry, rhetoric, and history has a philosophical significance. All three are rooted in directive language. Potano's ideas are that the traditional thoughts need to be revised. A new kind of philosophy starts with the Humanists and the turn to rhetoric, away from rational argument.
Grassi, Ernesto "Remarks on German Idealism, Humanism and the Philosophical Function of Rhetoric," Philosophy and Rhetoric, 19 (1986), 125. Grassi discusses his blending of Vico's Italian Humanism and German Idealism. The entire system of thoughts is summarized as follows: "The faculty that is crucial to the making of metaphors is ingenium, which allows us to see the world. The power of language is beyond logic and rational thinking. To think rationally involves assuming some presuppositions and drawing inferences from them." This text is simply and expansion of the work in Foss, et al. and provides a historical context for Grassi's work.
Grassi, Ernesto "The Ordinary Quality of the Poetic and Rhetorical Word: Heidegger, Ungaretti, and Neruda," Philosophy and Rhetoric, 20 (1987), 248. This article is divided into three sections. The first section concentrates on making clear the philosophical function of poetical and rhetorical language, by looking at statements of philosopher Martin Heidegger and of two poets Ungaretti and Neruda. The poetic world, according to Heidegger, receives not only priority over the rational world, but also has a philosophical function comparing it to the ideas of philosopher Giambattista Vico. Second, it deals with the idea that reality cannot be revealed through a rational process. Next it deals with the philosophical function of poetry, showing that every beginning of a historical era is announced with a poetic expression, showing connection of poetry, rhetoric and history. Imagery is poetry. The third part shows what can happen when rational word becomes superior to rhetorical word, using the stories of Prometheus and Ulyssses. The fire Prometheus brought is considered metaphoric, but the fact that his liver is being destroyed keeps him historical and not eternal. Dante condemns Ulysses when he wishes to go beyond Hercules' pillars.
Grassi, Ernesto "Why Rhetoric is Philosophy," Philosophy and Rhetoric, 20 (1987), 75. Traditional philosophy arrives at an important admission: rational language cannot reach "passions." What is "true" language? The model provided by German romantic thought recognizes an essentially literary character. In Monologne, Noralis, language is a game; language does not occur for the determination of beings. Tongue speaks for itself alone. An object has its own destiny and at the same time it doesn't in that each appears in its merry through the code which is revealed in the history. Rhetorical, historical language is shown to be the true philosophical language because it is by means of it that we "uncover" the various world by "playing" with our "orders" at stake.
Verene, Donald Phillip, rev. of Die Macht der Phantasie and Rhetoric
as Philosophy, by Ernesto Grassi, Philosophy and Rhetoric, 13 (Fall
1980), 281. This article summarizes Grassi's ideas in Rhetoric as Philosophy:
The Humanist Tradition and in Die Macht der Phantasie. Zur Geschitchte
abenlandischen Denkens. According to Verene, these books are "treasure
houses of an understanding of the nature of rhetoric and its relationship
to philosophy that is absent in contemporary thought." Grassi's thesis
is that rhetoric is at the basis of philosophy. Considering this relationship,
Grassi asks his readers to understand the power of
language by choosing Humanism over science.
Verene, Donald Phillip, "Response
to Grassi," Philosophy
and Rhetoric, 19 (1986), 135. Verene is delighted to be discussing Grassi's
work. He admits skepticism to the blending of Italian Humanism and German
Idealism. The most important element of Grassi's thought is the metaphor
because metaphors embody the starting pints for thought. It is essentially
a recovery of ancient ideas that Verene feels is long overdue.
back to lecture note index
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The government's human rights record remained poor. Although there were no reports that the government or its agents committed politically motivated killings, security forces committed extrajudicial killings and acted with impunity. There was little political will to address the failure by government authorities to adhere to the rule of law. Detainees were abused, often to extract confessions, and prison conditions were harsh. Human rights monitors reported arbitrary arrests and prolonged pretrial detention, underscoring a weak judiciary and denial of the right to a fair trial. Land disputes and forced evictions, often accompanied by violence, were a continuing problem. The government restricted freedom of speech and the press through the use of defamation and disinformation suits, controlled or influenced the content of television and radio broadcasts, and at times interfered with freedom of assembly. Corruption was endemic and extended throughout all segments of society, including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Domestic violence and child abuse occurred, education of children was inadequate, and trafficking in women and children persisted. The government offered little assistance to persons with disabilities. Antiunion activity by employers and weak enforcement of labor laws continued, and child labor remained a problem. In a positive turn, on June 12, the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic Kampuchea adopted its internal rules to begin prosecuting senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime and those most responsible for committing serious crimes. On July 31, the ECCC charged Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, with crimes against humanity and subsequently charged four other senior officials; at year's end all were in detention awaiting trial. In addition, on December 10, the government permitted a Human Rights Day march of 500 human rights activists, monks, and other persons and rally of an estimated 2,500 persons in Phnom Penh. RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Section 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From: a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life There were no reports that the government or its agents committed politically motivated killings. However, human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) reported that extrajudicial killings continued to occur. The Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) recorded 53 cases of extrajudicial killings, 14 of which were committed by police, nine by soldiers, six by fishery officials, and the remaining 24 by unidentified government forces. Police arrested perpetrators in four cases. Political activists continued to be the victims of killings. On February 27, Eang Sok Thoeurn, a Khmer Kampuchea Krom monk, was found dead with his throat cut in the Tronum Chhroeung Monastery in Kandal Province. The deceased monk was discovered the morning after he participated in a demonstration in front of the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh for the rights of Khmer Kampuchea Krom persons living in Vietnam. Police quickly declared the death a suicide and disposed of the body without further investigation. NGOs and Khmer Kampuchea Krom groups suspected the killing was politically motivated. Active members of political parties were killed during the year, but NGOs and police could not confirm their deaths were politically motivated. On February 14, three unidentified persons killed Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) activist Chea Sovin, spouse of an SRP candidate for the April commune council elections in Battambang Province. On July 27, three unidentified persons shot and killed Kleb Un, SRP commune‑level vice party chairperson in Banteay Meanchey Province. A local police chief reported that the perpetrators fled without robbing the victim or taking anything from the scene. Police arrested one suspect in the case but released him after questioning. In both killings, police stated that investigations continued. On April 4, police officer Siv Soeun allegedly shot and killed a person he claimed was illegally fishing on private property in the Kompong Siem District of Kampong Cham Province. The victim's family filed a complaint against the police officer but later withdrew the complaint after Siv Soeun allegedly paid the family $3,000 (12 million riel) in compensation. At year's end Siv Soeun had not been charged or arrested. On November 15, during the eviction of squatters from state land in Choam Ksan commune, Preah Vihear Province, unidentified government forces killed two villagers who protested the eviction. Approximately 150 police, military police, and soldiers evicted 317 families. There was no official investigation into the killings. Police arrested 18 of the squatters, including a deputy governor, on charges of encroachment on state land. The 18 villagers were imprisoned and awaited trial at year's end. In June the Prey Veng Provincial Court sentenced one suspect in the November 2006 killing of SRP activist Man Meth to 10 years in prison and two others to six months in prison for conspiring in the killing. On July 18, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced Heng Pov, former Phnom Penh police commissioner and under secretary of state of the Ministry of Interior (MOI), to an additional 22.5 years in prison for the 2005 illegal detention of a person, use of illegal weapons, and possession of counterfeit currency. Heng Pov was already serving an 18‑year sentence for the 2003 murder of Judge Sok Sethamony, multiple counts of premeditated killings, and involvement in illegal arrests and detentions. During his July trial, Heng Pov stated that Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, the two suspects he ordered arrested in 2005 and who later were convicted for the killing of union activist Chea Vichea, were innocent of the crime. On April 12, the appeals court had upheld 20‑year sentences each for Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun. Their lawyers submitted grievances to the Supreme Court, and at year's end they awaited Supreme Court action. There were no developments in the 2006 cases of SRP activists Koent Chhuon and Thoeung Thear, killed in Preah Vihear and Kampong Cham provinces, respectively. Likewise, there were no developments in the cases of Pao Rum and Khat Thoeun, who died in police custody in Kandal Province in 2006, or the 2006 cases of attempted prison breaks in Kampong Thom and Battambang that left 10 inmates dead. In the case of Nong Sam, who reportedly died June 2006 in a Siem Reap hospital from head injuries received during a beating by police officers, a provincial court prosecutor closed the case, declaring Nong Sam's death a suicide. There were no developments in the 2005 killings of five SRP activists or in the 2005 case of an attempted escape from Trapoeung Phlong Prison in which 19 prisoners and the prison director were killed. The appeals court took no action in the 2005 deaths of five villagers and injuries to others by government security forces during a mass eviction from disputed land in the village of Kbal Spean in Banteay Meanchey Province. On February 8, in Prey Veng Province, district‑ and commune‑level deputy police chiefs Bun Samphea, Suos Bunthat, and Hay Chivon, charged in a 2000 killing, failed to appear for their provincial court trial, reportedly stating they were too busy. The court rescheduled the trial to June but postponed it again after the officers said they were too busy to come to the June trial. A new trial date was not set. Mines dating from the Indochina conflict and Khmer Rouge period continued to cause casualties. According to the Cambodia Mine/UXO Victim Information System, during the year mines and unexploded ordnance caused 63 deaths, 56 amputations, and 222 other injuries. Vigilante justice and mob killings persisted. ADHOC reported that mobs killed five persons during the year. Few suspects were arrested. In some instances authorities could not protect suspects from angry mobs. NGOs noted that a majority of mob killings were related to thefts, robberies, or suspected witchcraft. On June 9, Yos Chor villagers in Kampong Speu Province killed a person for stealing a neighbor's chickens. On June 21, a mob killed a traditional healer in the Boribo District of Kampong Chhnang Province because they suspected him of witchcraft. Police made no arrests in either case. On June 27, the Kratie Provincial Court sentenced six persons to sentences ranging from seven to 10 months in prison for the 2006 vigilante justice killing of Sam Roeun. The court convicted them on charges of causing injury, reduced from investigation findings of murder. There were no developments in the February 2006 case of a person beaten and killed for allegedly practicing witchcraft. On June 30, Khmer Kampuchea Krom monk Tim Sakhorn, head of a pagoda in the Kirivong District of Takeo Province for more than 10 years, disappeared. Previously, on orders of the country's top Buddhist leader, Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong, monks from Phnom Penh had defrocked Tim Sakhorn, after which unidentified persons believed to be attached to the MOI pushed him into a vehicle and drove away. The defrocking order stated Tim Sakhorn "broke the solidarity" between Cambodia and Vietnam by using pagodas to spread propaganda that affects the dignity of Buddhism. The monk was known locally for providing food and shelter to Khmer Kampuchea Krom coming from Vietnam. The MOI stated that Tim Sakhorn volunteered to go to Vietnam after he was defrocked, and ministry officials produced a document stating this intent. While signed by Tim Sakhorn, the handwritten document appeared not to be in his writing. On August 2, Tim Sakhorn reappeared in court custody in Vietnam, held on charges of destroying political solidarity. In September the Information Ministry stated that the Cambodian consulate in Ho Chi Minh City was investigating Tim Sakhorn's condition in detention. On November 8, a Vietnamese newspaper reported that a court in Vietnam convicted Tim Sakhorn of undermining solidarity between Cambodia and Vietnam and sentenced him to one year in prison. On August 10, Land Border Protection Unit 504 soldier Im Bun Ny disappeared in Pailin. According to witnesses, that night four soldiers from his unit invited him to a rubber plantation owned by their unit commander, Brigadier General Pol Sinuon. After Im Bun Ny arrived, the four soldiers beat him and accused him of stealing a gun. Unconfirmed witness reports said Im Bun Ny died from the beating and the soldiers buried his body. At year's end Im Bun Ny was still missing. According to a human rights NGO, local police completed an investigation and submitted findings to the court. The court took no action, and the four soldiers remained at large. c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The constitution such practices; however, beatings and other forms of physical mistreatment of police detainees and prison inmates continued to be a serious problem. There were credible reports that military and civilian police officials used physical and psychological torture and severely beat criminal detainees, particularly during interrogation. Based on interviews with 1,293 detainees from 18 of the country's 26 prisons, the Cambodian League for the Prevention and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) reported that during the year authorities tortured 155 prisoners, of whom 125 were tortured in police custody and 30 in prisons. Kicking, punching, and pistol whipping were the most common methods of physical abuse, but techniques also included electric shocks, suffocation, caning, and whipping with wire. NGOs reported that it was not uncommon for police to torture detained suspects until they confessed to a crime. Courts used forced confessions as legal evidence during trial despite admissibility prohibitions under the law. NGOs noted that during the year there were 180 cases of physical assaults by local authorities, government agents, or private bodyguards, compared with 164 cases in 2006 and 154 cases in 2005. On May 27, military police officer Prak Vutha of Phnom Sruoch District, Kampong Speu Province, reportedly arrested Sok Soeun after a small scuffle at a restaurant, kept him in military detention overnight without a warrant, and beat him unconscious. According to ADHOC, Sok Soeun's family gave Prak Vutha two cases of beer in return for Sok Soeun's release. Sok Soeun later filed a complaint with local police that the police did not accept. There was no investigation into the case or legal action against Prak Vutha. No legal action was taken against two policemen from Border Protection Unit 701 implicated in a February 2006 beating of a 13‑year‑old boy. Likewise, there was no action against officials and no progress in the police investigation of an April 2006 case involving Police Commissioner Team Sangkriem in Preah Vihear Province and three other police agents who detained Kong Salath without a warrant and beat him. No disciplinary or legal action was taken against abusive officers in the April 2006 beating of a motorist by Battambang military police. Regarding the December 2006 case of Tous Sdoeung, whom two military police officers allegedly tortured to death while in detention, early in the year a provincial court prosecutor completed an investigation and forwarded it to an investigating judge. The court investigation continued. The two alleged perpetrators continued to work in their positions as military police officers. Prison and Detention Center Conditions Prison conditions did not meet international standards. Conditions remained harsh and at times were life threatening. Government efforts to improve them continued to be hampered by a lack of funds and weak enforcement. Human rights organizations cited a number of serious problems, including overcrowding, medical and sanitation problems, food and water shortages, malnutrition, and poor security. According to LICADHO, the 18 prisons they monitored had a designed capacity of approximately 6,440 inmates but held a total 9,582 inmates. There were reports at some prisons that cells of 40 by 20 feet held up to 110 prisoners. At CC1 prison, cells of 26 by 26 feet held an average of 50 prisoners. In some prisons authorities used shackles and held prisoners in small, dark cells as a form of harsher punishment. LICADHO reported that 56 prisoners in 18 of the country's prisons died during the year. Government ration allowances for purchasing prisoners' food routinely were misappropriated and remained inadequate, exacerbating malnutrition and disease. One NGO claimed that in some cases prison authorities sold the NGO's donations of supplemental food intended for prisoners. According to rights organizations, families had to bribe prison officials in order to visit prisoners or provide them food and other necessities. NGOs reported that prisoners whose families bribed prison authorities received preferential treatment including access to visitors, transfer to better cells, and the opportunity to leave cells during the day. There were reports that officials demanded bribes before allowing prisoners to attend trials or appeal hearings and before releasing inmates who had served full jail terms. In most prisons there was no separation of adult and juvenile prisoners, of male and female prisoners, or of persons convicted of serious crimes and persons detained for minor offenses. Pretrial detainees were routinely held together with convicted prisoners. LICADHO reported that there were 622 incarcerated minors ages 13 to 17, many of whom were held in prisons that did not have facilities to separate minors from adult prisoners. The government generally continued to allow international and domestic human rights groups, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to visit prisons and provide human rights training to prison guards. However, NGOs reported that at times cooperation from local authorities was limited. Authorities curtailed access to pretrial detainees, in particular. The MOI continued to require that lawyers, human rights monitors, and other visitors obtain permission prior to visiting prisoners. The MOI withheld such permission in some politically sensitive cases. NGOs were not allowed to interview prisoners in private. d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention; however, at times the government did not respect these prohibitions. On June 7, the National Assembly passed a criminal procedures code, and in August the king signed the law into effect. The new code went allows for pretrial detention of up to six months for misdemeanors and 18 months for felonies. Prior to enactment of this code, the maximum length of pretrial detention for an adult person was six months under the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) code, although the government sometimes held pretrial detainees for longer periods. ADHOC reported that at least 100 persons were illegally arrested and detained during the year. ADHOC stated that 32 of those illegally detained were subsequently freed following detainee complaints, interventions by human rights NGOs, or payment of bribes. ADHOC believed that the actual number of arbitrary arrests and detentions was somewhat higher, because some victims in rural areas did not file complaints due to difficulty in traveling to the NGO's offices or out of fear for their family's security. According to ADHOC, no legal or disciplinary actions were taken against the persons responsible for the illegal actions. Role of the Police and Security Apparatus The General Commissariat of the National Police, which is under the supervision of the MOI, manages all civilian police units. The police forces are divided into those who have the authority to make arrests, those without such authority, and the judicial police. Military police are permitted to arrest civilians on military property or when authorized by local governments. Police officers acted with impunity, and in most cases the government took little or no action. There were reports that police, prosecutors, investigating judges, and presiding judges received bribes from owners of illegal businesses. The law requires police, prosecutors, and judges to investigate all complaints, including those of police abuses; however, in practice judges and prosecutors rarely conducted an independent investigation prior to a public trial. Presiding judges passed down verdicts based only on written reports from police and witness testimonies. In general police received little professional training. Police who failed to prevent or respond to societal violence were rarely disciplined. There were no developments in the April 2006 case of an antidrug department and military police officer who shot and injured a well‑known singer, Sovansocheata. No legal action was taken in the April 2006 case of two Brigade 70 military unit officers who shot and injured a person in Phnom Penh. There were no developments in the June 2006 case in which a military officer shot and injured a garment factory worker. In February an investigating judge in Siem Reap Province issued a warrant for the arrest of three police officers who allegedly raped a 12‑year‑old girl in November 2006; however, the suspects remained at large. There were no developments in the pending appeal of the April 2006 acquittal of three judges, two deputy prosecutors, and two court clerks originally convicted, then retried after appeal on finding of a mistrial, on charges of corruption and corruption‑related conspiracy. Arrest and Detention The law requires police to obtain a warrant from an investigating judge prior to making an arrest, but police may arrest without a warrant anyone caught in the act of committing a crime. The law allows police to take a person into custody and conduct an investigation for 48 hours, excluding weekends and government holidays, before charges must be filed. In felony cases of exceptional circumstances prescribed by law, police may detain a suspect for an additional 24 hours with the approval of a prosecutor. However, authorities routinely held persons for extended periods before charging them. Many prisoners, particularly those without legal representation, had no opportunity to seek release on bail. Under the new criminal procedures code, accused persons may be arrested and detained for up to 24 hours before meeting with a lawyer, but prisoners routinely were held for several days before gaining access to a lawyer or family members. According to government officials, such prolonged detention largely was a result of the limited capacity of the court system. LICADHO reported that as of midyear at least 101 pretrial detainees had been detained longer than the six‑month limit. Under the allowable pretrial detainee periods stipulated by the new code, at year's end there were at least 34 such prisoners. On May 19, two military police officers in Banteay Meanchey Province detained Kim Heang for three days after Kim Heang had a dispute with his neighbor, a regional military official. The two officers made the arrest without a warrant. After an NGO intervened, the officers' commander ordered Kim Heang released. No administrative or legal action was taken against the officers. On May 25, the Ratanakiri Provincial Court sentenced a 13‑year‑old Jarai ethnic minority youth to eight months and 10 days in prison for stealing brass gongs. The youth was 12 years old when arrested, under the minimum age for imprisonment, but spent more than eight months in pretrial detention. According to ADHOC, on May 25, a prosecutor filed a suit with the appeals court, but at year's end the youth remained in jail. On August 9, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted six persons and acquitted two charged with planning bombings at the November 2006 Water Festival. Two of the convicted were sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison. The remaining four received six‑year sentences. Lawyers and NGOs maintained the police did not serve arrest warrants or tell the suspects the charges against them. e. Denial of Fair Public Trial The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, but the government did not respect judicial independence. The courts were subject to influence and interference by the executive branch, and there was widespread corruption among judges, prosecutors, and court officials. The court system consists of lower courts, an appeals court, and the Supreme Court. The constitution also mandates a constitutional council, which is empowered to review the constitutionality of laws, and a supreme council of the magistracy, which appoints, oversees, and disciplines judges. The composition of both councils heavily favored the CPP. There is a separate military court system, which suffered from deficiencies similar to those of the civilian court system. While civilians may fall under military court jurisdiction in some cases, the legal distinction between the military and civil courts sometimes was ignored in practice. Civilians have been called for interrogation by military courts with no apparent jurisdiction in their cases. On June 12, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) adopted its internal rules to begin prosecuting egregious crimes of the 1975‑79 Khmer Rouge regime. On July 31, the ECCC coinvestigating judges charged Kaing Guek Eav (alias Duch), former Khmer Rouge director of the S‑21 torture prison, or Tuol Sleng, for crimes against humanity and placed him in an ECCC provisional detention center. The ECCC later arrested and detained four more Khmer Rouge leaders and charged them with crimes against humanity and war crimes: Nuon Chea (also known as "Brother Number 2"), Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, and Ieng Thirith, who was charged only with crimes against humanity. In August Duch's lawyers filed an appeal against his provisional detention. On December 3, the ECCC pretrial chamber decided unanimously to affirm the detention order and dismiss the appeal. Trials are public. Juries are not used; the presiding judge possesses the authority to pass a verdict. Defendants have the right to be present and consult with an attorney, confront and question witnesses against them, and present witnesses and evidence on their own behalf. If a defendant cannot afford an attorney, the court is required to provide the defendant with free legal representation; however, the judiciary lacked the resources to provide legal counsel, and most defendants sought assistance from NGOs or went without legal representation. Trials typically were perfunctory, and extensive cross‑examination usually did not take place. Defendants and their attorneys have the right to examine government‑held evidence relevant to their cases; however, at times it was difficult for them to obtain such access, especially if the case was political or involved a high‑ranking government official or well‑connected member of the elite. Defendants are entitled by law to the presumption of innocence and the right of appeal, but due to pervasive corruption, defendants often were expected to bribe judges to secure a verdict. A citizen's right to appeal sometimes was limited by difficulty in transferring prisoners from provincial prisons to the appeals court in Phnom Penh. Many appeals thus were heard in the absence of the defendant. A lack of resources, low salaries, and poor training contributed to a high level of corruption and inefficiency in the judicial branch, and the government did not ensure due process. From January through September, the Center for Social Development monitored 1,420 felony and misdemeanor hearings with 2,437 defendants and found trial procedure abuses in the Supreme Court, appeals court, and four lower courts. In a report of trials observed from January to March, the center stated that courts tried 34 percent of 740 defendants in absentia. At the appeals level, defendants were not present during trial in 69 percent of cases. Of defendants charged with felonies, 37 percent had legal representation, compared with 7 percent
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You can help keep your heart and blood vessels healthy by taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle. These healthy habits include not smoking, eating right, exercising regularly, staying at a healthy weight, and getting the screening tests you need.
A heart-healthy lifestyle is important for everyone, not just for people with existing health problems. It can help you keep your heart and blood vessels healthy. If you already have heart or blood vessel problems, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, a healthy lifestyle can help you manage those problems.
If you have children, you can be their healthy role model. If your habits are healthy, your children are more likely to build those habits in their own lives.
Everyone who uses tobacco would benefit from quitting. When you quit smoking—no matter how old you are—you will decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke, and many other health problems. For help with quitting smoking, see these topics:
Eating healthy foods is one of the best things you can do to prevent and control many health problems, including heart and blood vessel disease. For help with healthy eating, see these topics:
Improving your fitness is good for your heart and blood vessels, as well as the rest of your body. Being active helps lower your risk of health problems. And it helps you feel good. For more information about being active, see these topics:
Staying at a healthy weight is also part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. Read more in these topics about reaching and staying at a healthy weight:
Seeing your doctor regularly and getting screening tests is important. The sooner your doctor diagnoses a disease, the more likely it can be cured or managed. To reduce your risk of heart and blood vessel problems, be sure to keep an eye on your cholesterol and blood pressure. The tests you might have to check your risk for heart and blood vessel problems depend on your age, health, gender, and risk factors. Talk to your doctor to find out which tests are right for you.
Other Works Consulted
- Expert Panel on Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents (2011). Expert panel on integrated guidelines for cardiovascular health and risk reduction in children and adolescents: Summary report. Pediatrics, 128(Supplement 5): S213–S256.
- Redberg RF, et al. (2009). ACCF/AHA 2009 Performance measures for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults: A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures. Circulation, 120(13): 1296–1336.
|Primary Medical Reviewer||Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology|
|Specialist Medical Reviewer||Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology|
|Last Revised||April 6, 2012|
Last Revised: April 6, 2012
Author: Healthwise Staff
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
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Nappies and the environment
Both reusable and disposable nappies have some environmental impact stemming from the production, cleaning and disposal of the both nappy products.
- Many cloth nappies are made from cotton, which is a crop that uses large amounts of pesticides and water in its production. Two other choices are hemp and bamboo which are slowly becoming more popular choices.
- The soaking, rinsing and washing of cloth nappies uses water and energy in the heating of the water. This process also releases detergents into the environment.
You can educe the environmental impact of cloth nappies by:
- Choosing to use biodegradable, phosphate-free detergents
- Using a cold water cycle and then using solar power (on the washing line) to dry the nappies
- Only wash your nappies when you have a full load, thereby avoiding wasting water
- Choosing not to use a fabric softener
- Buying affront-loading washing machine which uses less water than a top-loader
- Considerably add to the world's landfill each year
- use chemicals in their manufacture and disposal
- can cause fecal pollution on disposal.
- 1. Best pregnancy books and DVDs
- 2. Bathing your toddler
- 3. Your diet and healthy teeth and gums
- 4. Best baby car seat guide
- 5. Toy safety
- 6. Water safety
- 7. First aid and emergencies
- 8. Your baby and immunisation
- 9. Baby cold and cough
- 10. Your baby and hot weather
- 11. Teething
- 12. Personal fitness for mums
- 13. 10 benefits of exercise during pregnancy
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Thrombolytic drugs for heart attack
Small blood vessels called coronary arteries supply blood and oxygen to the heart.
- A heart attack can occur if a blood clot completely blocks one of these arteries.
- Unstable angina refers to chest pain and other warning signs that a heart attack may happen soon. It is most often caused by blood clots in the arteries.
Certain patients may be given drugs to break up the clot if the artery is completely blocked. These drugs are called thrombolytics, or clot busting drugs.
- These drugs should be given within 3 hours of when the patient first felt chest pain.
- The medicine is given through a vein (IV).
- Blood thinners taken by mouth may be prescribed later to prevent more clots from forming.
The main risk when receiving clot busting drugs is bleeding, especially bleeding in the brain.
Thrombolytic therapy is not safe for people who have:
- Bleeding inside the head or a stroke
- Brain abnormalities, such as tumors or poorly formed blood vessels
- Had a head injury within the past 3 months
- A history of using blood thinners or a bleeding disorder
- Had major surgery, a major injury, or internal bleeding within the past 3-4 weeks
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Severe high blood pressure
Other treatments that may be done instead of thrombolytic therapy are:
- Angioplasty is a procedure to open narrowed or blocked arteries that supply blood to the heart. It is often the first choice treatment.
- Heart bypass surgery to open narrowed or blocked arteries that supply blood to the heart may also be done. This procedure is also called "open heart surgery."
Anderson JL, Adams CD, Antman EM, Bridges CR, Califf RM, Casey DE Jr, et al. ACC/AHA 2007 guidelines for the management of patients with unstable angina/non-ST-Elevation myocardial infarction: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the 2002 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Unstable Angina/Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) developed in collaboration with the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons endorsed bythe American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007;50(7):e1-e157.
Antman EM, Hand M, Armstrong PW, Bates ER, Green LA, Halasyamani LK, et al. 2007 Focused Update of the ACC/AHA 2004 Guidelines for the Management of Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines: developed in collaboration with the Canadian Cardiovascular Society endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians: 2007 Writing Group to Review New Evidence and Update the ACC/AHA 2004 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, writing on behalf of the 2004 Writing Committee. Circulation. 2008;117(20:296-329.
Reviewed By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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The benefits of a post-secondary degree are plentiful. For example, an employee with a four year college degree earns 60 percent more than a worker with only a high school diploma. Paying for college, however, has become a daunting task and strain for many American students and families. The cost of higher education across the country is rapidly increasing, at almost double the rate of inflation, outpacing increases in financial aid and many families ability to pay. The combination of these factors result in too many students being unable to earn or complete their degrees due to financial constraints.
By one estimate, the federal government spent over $367 billion in 2005 aloneon subsidizing Americans' retirement savings and tax breaks to build upother assets like buying a home. Unfortunately, those subsidies gooverwhelmingly to those Americans who already have high-incomes; almostnone of it goes to the poorest Americans who need the most helpbuilding the financial assets that can lead to long-term economicopportunities and security.
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One of the great bits of repartee in The King’s Speech comes as the maverick Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue, is just getting to know His Royal Highness Prince Albert, the stammering Duke of York:
Logue: “Surely a prince’s brain knows what his mouth’s doing?” Bertie: “You’re obviously not well acquainted with many royal princes.”
No one could have imagined any such dialogue involving Archduke Otto von Habsburg, who died on July 4—not because the archduke was a fearsome personality, but because he was a pre-eminently intelligent and decent man.
The full name he was given at his baptism in 1912—Franz Josef Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xavier Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius—speaks volumes about the history of his family, whose rule over central Europe extended back some seven centuries. Otto might have been thought an anachronism after his father, Emperor Karl, was driven from the throne of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary in the waning days of World War I. Yet the son declined to disappear from the scene and played roles both dramatic and useful over the eight decades of his maturity.
He worried Hitler, who saw him as a potential threat to the Anschluss uniting Austria with Germany. So the Nazi Führer twice tried to meet the young Austrian nobleman when Archduke Otto was studying in Berlin in 1931-32. Otto von Habsburg not only rebuffed Hitler on both occasions, thus putting himself firmly on the Gestapo’s list of enemies; in 1938, as the Nazi vice was closing on an independent Austria, the archduke, at obvious risk to his life, volunteered to return to Austria as the head of government, to provide a national rallying point against Nazi paganism.
In June 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed the Belgian castle in which Otto von Habsburg and his family were living, just hours after the family had fled south ahead of the Wehrmacht’s drive west. Hounded by the Gestapo in neutral Lisbon, Archduke Otto and his family came to the United States at the invitation of President Franklin Roosevelt and spent the Second World War years in America. Otto von Habsburg returned to Europe after the Nazi defeat, married Princess Regina of Sachsen-Meiningen, who was working as a nurse at a Munich refuge camp the archduke visited (and whose father, Duke George III, had died in the Soviet Gulag); the couple had seven children, and lived a model Christian family life.
Elected to the European parliament in 1979, Otto von Habsburg spent 20 years as perhaps that body’s most respected member: an adroit debater in seven languages, he kept alive the vision of a post-Cold War Europe reunited as a single civilizational enterprise, built on the sturdy foundations of biblical religion, faith in reason, and commitment to the rule of law. In that sense, Otto von Habsburg was arguably the first modern “European.”
He may also have been the last. For the European Union, as it has evolved in the early 21st century, has been built around a naked public square in which biblical religion plays no role; faith in reason is faltering under the assault of post-modernism and political correctness; and the rule of law is jeopardized by what another great son of Mitteleuropa, Joseph Ratzinger, has called the “dictatorship of relativism.” In 2006, I spent a memorable evening discussing this unhappy situation with the Archduke Otto, at an Acton Institute dinner in Rome at which we were seated across the table from one another. He was not bitter, for he was a man of deep Catholic faith, and thus a man of hope. But he was concerned about Europe’s future, and his concerns have turned out to be entirely prescient.
Otto von Habsburg’s father, Emperor Karl, was beatified by John Paul II in 2004. The late pope once greeted Archduke Otto’s mother, Empress Zita, by saying that he was “happy to receive the widow of my father’s last sovereign.” It is entirely safe to say that we shall not see their likes again. May they rest in peace.
George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
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A group of researchers have developed a way to identify pirated movies by reducing the original to a signature genetic code. The system can match even videos that have been altered or had their colors changed to the source, an area where many video piracy mechanisms fall short.
Drs. Alex and Michael Bronstein and Professor Ron Kimmel have come up with a way to isolate a certain subset of data from video files that serves an analogous role to a fingerprint at a crime scene. While the creators haven't published research on this exact project in order to guard the proprietary technology, it works by applying a series of grids over the film to reduce it to a series of numbers.
Once the film has been systematically reduced, copyright holders can take the "DNA signature" of the video and scan sites that host pirated videos for it. According to the three researchers, the signature should be able to find correct matches even if the videos' borders have been changed, commercials have been added, or scenes have been edited out, which is a capability that sites that patrol for piracy, like YouTube, currently lack.
There are no details on the limitations of the system, such as video length, style, or quality. "We have a fully working prototype and have established a company that commercializes it," Dr. Bronstein told Ars.
While the website is no more revealing about how the video DNA matching works, Bronstein adds that they've already had a few companies interested in licensing the technology.
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Racism uber alles 0
Auschwitz looms as a testament to the rabid quest for 'racial purity' undertaken by Hitler and the Nazis. But rather than a product of the Left or the Right, writes Queen's professor Timothy Smith, Nazism was 'tyranny with an unabashedly brutal face.'
Was Hitler a socialist? Certainly he had nothing in common with the strain of Social Democracy that emerged during the 1930s in Scandinavia and survives there and in Germany. This variant of socialism respects the rule of law and private property; it is not under examination in this article.
But was Nazism related to Soviet-style socialism? Hitler’s party was, after all, named the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP). Early on, the party’s message was peppered with anti-big-business and anti-labor-union rhetoric alike. Some of the early leaders of the party (Hitler did not take full control for several years after joining it) were anti-capitalist, and Hitler’s early speeches can indeed be mined for denunciations of high finance and monopoly capitalism, which Hitler equated with the Jews.
These criticisms are largely rooted in Hitler’s anti-Semitism and his contempt for the profiteering of large firms during the war—they don’t stem from a sympathetic reading of Marx. In power, the Nazi party expanded the welfare state, just as Mussolini had done in Italy, and just as conservative governments did in France. Hitler subsidized leisure programs and he increased the value of family allowances (for those deemed racially “fit”). But this does not make him a socialist.
The Nazis were obsessed with the class conflict in general, and they strove to “solve” it—on their authoritarian terms. But the pursuit of racial “purity” was Hitler’s revolutionary principle. His social policy was always subordinated to his racial policy. Hitler’s world-view revolved around biological determinism; the Soviets’ world-view centred on the inevitability of the class conflict.
Under Hitler, rampant individualism would be replaced by a martial devotion to the racially pure Nation. The Nazis were suspicious of many traditional institutions. Hitler was no conservative, even if he needed, and got in 1933, the reluctant support of conservative leaders naive in the belief that they could control him.
Hitler displayed no ideological commitment to curtailing the rights of private property. He mobilized a war economy, and like the democracies during both World Wars, he requisitioned factories, but he accepted the basic contours of capitalism. There was no plan to collectivize German farms, nor were businesses and bank accounts taken over for the sake of taking them over.
Jews and political enemies were robbed of their property and eventually their lives. The Nazis’ willingness to violate property rights stemmed entirely from their racism and militarism; the state did not direct the production of basic consumer goods, as it did in the USSR.
One cannot understand Hitler’s 1941 invasion of the USSR without reference to his ideology of “Jewish Bolshevism.” Describing his own political awakening in Vienna, Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf, “in this period my eyes were opened to two menaces of which I had previously scarcely known the names ... Marxism and Jewry.”
Addressing the judge at the trial of the Beer Hall Putsch conspirators, a failed coup d’état Hitler launched in 1923, he said: “I wanted to become the destroyer of Marxism.” Shortly after becoming Chancellor, Hitler imprisoned Socialist and Communist leaders on trumped-up charges. Next he murdered several of them and demolished their unions and political parties.
Like Lenin and Stalin, Hitler had contempt for individual political rights, that quaint bourgeois notion. Like the Soviets, Hitler crushed civil society, politicizing everyday life, from the composition of city councils to the boards of directors of charities and athletic clubs.
Soviet-style Socialism was tyranny with a supposedly humane goal—the abolition of poverty, the dawning of equality, and the liberation of the individual from the alienation of modern industrial life and the backwardness of quasi-serfdom in the countryside. Hitler had no such concerns. Nazism was tyranny with an unabashedly brutal face. The end goal was certainly European domination (some historians believe world domination), the elimination of the Jews and the Marxists, and the enslavement of Eastern Europeans.
Communism and fascism treated individuals as mere abstractions, to be murdered or imprisoned if need be. But the end goals were profoundly different. Hitler did not seek to overthrow capitalism. If he threw “socialistic” crumbs of comfort to the workers who toiled in his war machine it was not out of ideological commitment. His concern was to prop up his regime and to ensure “racial fitness.” Like the men who ruled the USSR, Hitler was, in politics, a collectivist - but he was no socialist. The difference is more than semantic. Hitler was first and foremost a racist whose associated military goals required a form of intervention in the economy that should not be confused with socialism.
Timothy Smith is a history professor at Queen's University and an expert in modern European history.
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Israel was born as a sanctuary for a people banished from their homeland, harassed in exile and ultimately subjected to mass murder. But there is more than one population here that meets this description. For, the Jewish state is home to another dispersed, insular and tradition-bound nation that has suffered through the trauma of exile and one of the most devastating genocides of modern times.
Some 1.5 million Circassians were killed in the Caucasian War of the mid-to-late 19th century, and another million — fully 90% of the population — were deported from their land in the Caucasus Mountains. Today, roughly 4,000 Circassians live in Israel, where they constitute the country’s only Sunni Muslim community that sends each of its sons to the military.
Read post on Arty Semite blog about Israeli museums’ spotlight on Circassians.
“We’ve traditionally been friends with both Jews and Arabs, even when they were fighting among themselves,” said Zoher Thawcho, the 39-year-old co-founder of the Circassian Heritage Center in Kfar Kama. “We don’t see everything Israel does as holy, nor what the Arab states or Palestinians do…. It’s not as if we say, ‘From now on we’re with you, so we’re enemies of the other.’”
Most Circassians (sur-CASH-ins) took refuge in the lands of the Ottoman Empire. Today, 2 million of the world’s 7 million Circassians live in Turkey, with another 120,000 in Syria and 100,000 in Jordan. Circassians were Christian for 1,000 years, but from the 16th to the 19th century became Islamized under the influence of Crimean Tatars and Ottoman Turks.
In Israel, the community is spread across two villages in the green hills of the Galilee: Kfar Kama — 13 miles southwest of Tiberias, population 3,000; and Rehaniya — nine miles north of Safed, population 1,000. In the 16th century, the Circassians also founded Abu Ghosh, now a famous restaurant town located west of Jerusalem, but their progeny long ago adopted the Arabic language and culture of their surroundings.
“Circassians are like a prism that shows just how polarized Israeli society is,” said Chen Bram, an anthropologist who is currently working as a professor at the University of Florida. “It’s as if someone who doesn’t fit into the category of either Jew or Arab is from another planet. They’re neither here nor there.
“In terms of their day-to-day lives, both politically and ideologically, they’re closer to Jewish society. But in recent years, on the margins, there has also been more identification with their Islamic identity. I attribute that to a reaction to various racist remarks that have been thrown their way.”
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Jan. 22, 2008 Norwegian and Swiss biologists have made a startling discovery about the relationship between organisms that most people have never heard of. The Tree of Life must be re-drawn, textbooks need to be changed, and the discovery may also have significant impact on the development of medicines.
The discovery by Norwegian and Swiss researchers has gained attention from biologists worldwide. The findings come from the largest ever genetic comparison of higher life forms on the planet. Of 5000 genes examined, researchers identified 123 common genes from all known groups of organisms; these common genes have been studied more closely.
Lost a Branch
“The results were pretty astounding. All non-bacterial life on Earth—called eukaryotic life— can now be divided into four main groups instead of the five groups that we have been working with up to now,” says Kamran Shalchian-Tabrizi, an associate professor from the University of Oslo’s Department of Biology who has also worked with the Department of Zoology and Animal Biology and the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
The Tree of Life (see illustration) has, through the discovery that the two formerly separated branches share a similar evolutionary history, lost one of its branches, and this will both improve and simplify quite a bit of scientific work in the future.
“Kinship says a lot about shared traits. Our findings can be important in many fields, such as in the study of the development of life and in the manufacture of new medicines” says Shalchian-Tabrizi in an interview with the University of Oslo’s research magazine Apollon.
“Our knowledge of organisms and the development of medicines are often based on comparative studies across species. It is, therefore, essential that we know the relationships between the largest groups in the great diversity of eukaryotes,” he adds.
The research group has, for example, found that brown algae and silica algae, and groups of single cell organisms like the malaria parasite, marine foraminifera, and the green sun animalcule (acanthocystis turfacea) actually belong to the same group. Previously, these species were thought to be completely unrelated.
“The work that we published in the August edition of PLoS One means that the description of the Tree of Life must be revised in new textbooks,” says Professor Kjetill S. Jakobsen from the University of Oslo’s Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES). He is also a member of the Microbial Evolution Research Group (MERG), led by Shalchian-Tabrizi, at the Department of Biology. MERG is one of 16 groups that the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences believes may have the potential to develop into new Centres of Excellence.
The New Branch
All life on Earth can be divided into two essentially different life forms—eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The eukaryotes gather their genetic material in a nucleus, while the prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) have their genetic material floating freely in the cell. Eukaryotic organisms—such as humans—can, as a result of the new findings, be divided into the following four categories:
- Plants (green and red algae, and plants)
- Opisthokonts (amoebas, fungi, and all animals—including humans)
- Excavates (free-living organisms and parasites)
- SAR (the new main group, an abbreviation of Stramenophiles, Alveolates, and Rhizaria, the names of some of its members)
“The SAR group has to some extent been identified earlier, but we could not know if it was a correct observation because we lacked statistical data. To get that data, we first had to reconstruct the entire eukaryote tree with the help of these 123 genes. Chromalveolates and rhizaria were clearly separate groups until we published our results,” says Shalchian-Tabrizi.
“To make the picture a little less clear, one branch of chromalveolates is still in no man’s land. It may be that these also belong to SAR, but we will require additional genes and genomes to study this. We have set our sights on doing that in the course of the next few years,” he adds.
“The Tree of Life tells the story of life on Earth, and our research can say something about how quickly life developed. Our discovery suggests that there were fewer big “events” than we have previously assumed in the development of higher life forms. The more we know about the branches on the Tree of Life, the more we can find out about life’s Big Bang, the beginning of life on Earth,” says Shalchian-Tabrizi.
Three billion years ago, there was only bacteria and Archaea. Eukaryotic life, which comprises all multi-celled organisms, developed in the sea—probably between 1.2 and 1.6 billion years ago. It was not before about 500 million years ago that the first creatures crept onto land.
“By digging down into the historical layers with the help of phylogenetic reconstruction, where we can find out about kinship between organisms at the genetic level and we can find answers to questions about how new traits developed. We are working, in a matter of speaking, with genetic archaeology. In this manner, we can also discover the cause of the Earth’s biological diversity,” says Jakobsen.
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eso0842 — Science Release
Beta Pictoris planet finally imaged?
21 November 2008
A team of French astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope have discovered an object located very close to the star Beta Pictoris, and which apparently lies inside its disc. With a projected distance from the star of only 8 times the Earth-Sun distance, this object is most likely the giant planet suspected from the peculiar shape of the disc and the previously observed infall of comets onto the star. It would then be the first image of a planet that is as close to its host star as Saturn is to the Sun.
The hot star Beta Pictoris is one of the best-known examples of stars surrounded by a dusty 'debris' disc. Debris discs are composed of dust resulting from collisions among larger bodies like planetary embryos or asteroids. They are a bigger version of the zodiacal dust in our Solar System. Its disc was the first to be imaged — as early as 1984 — and remains the best-studied system. Earlier observations showed a warp of the disc, a secondary inclined disc and infalling comets onto the star. "These are indirect, but tell-tale signs that strongly suggest the presence of a massive planet lying between 5 and 10 times the mean Earth-Sun distance from its host star," says team leader Anne-Marie Lagrange. "However, probing the very inner region of the disc, so close to the glowing star, is a most challenging task."
In 2003, the French team used the NAOS-CONICA instrument (or NACO ), mounted on one of the 8.2 m Unit Telescopes of ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), to benefit from both the high image quality provided by the Adaptive Optics system at infrared wavelengths and the good dynamics offered by the detector, in order to study the immediate surroundings of Beta Pictoris.
Recently, a member of the team re-analysed the data in a different way to seek the trace of a companion to the star. Infrared wavelengths are indeed very well suited for such searches. "For this, the real challenge is to identify and subtract as accurately as possible the bright stellar halo," explains Lagrange. "We were able to achieve this after a precise and drastic selection of the best images recorded during our observations."
The strategy proved very rewarding, as the astronomers were able to discern a feeble, point-like glow well inside the star's halo. To eliminate the possibility that this was an artefact and not a real object, a battery of tests was conducted and several members of the team, using three different methods, did the analysis independently, always with the same success. Moreover, the companion was also discovered in other data sets, further strengthening the team's conclusion: the companion is real.
"Our observations point to the presence of a giant planet, about 8 times as massive as Jupiter and with a projected distance from its star of about 8 times the Earth-Sun distance, which is about the distance of Saturn in our Solar System ," says Lagrange.
"We cannot yet rule out definitively, however, that the candidate companion could be a foreground or background object," cautions co-worker Gael Chauvin. "To eliminate this very small possibility, we will need to make new observations that confirm the nature of the discovery."
The team also dug into the archives of the Hubble Space Telescope but couldn't see anything, "while most possible foreground or background objects would have been detected", remarks another team member, David Ehrenreich.
The fact that the candidate companion lies in the plane of the disc also strongly implies that it is bound to the star and its proto-planetary disc.
"Moreover, the candidate companion has exactly the mass and distance from its host star needed to explain all the disc's properties. This is clearly another nail in the coffin of the false alarm hypothesis," adds Lagrange.
When confirmed, this candidate companion will be the closest planet from its star ever imaged. In particular, it will be located well inside the orbits of the outer planets of the Solar System. Several other planetary candidates have indeed been imaged, but they are all located further away from their host star: if located in the Solar System, they would lie close or beyond the orbit of the farthest planet, Neptune. The formation processes of these distant planets are likely to be quite different from those in our Solar System and in Beta Pictoris.
"Direct imaging of extrasolar planets is necessary to test the various models of formation and evolution of planetary systems. But such observations are only beginning. Limited today to giant planets around young stars, they will in the future extend to the detection of cooler and older planets, with the forthcoming instruments on the VLT and on the next generation of optical telescopes," concludes team member Daniel Rouan.
Only 12 million years old, the 'baby star' Beta Pictoris is located about 70 light-years away towards the constellation Pictor (the Painter).
NACO is one of the instruments on ESO's VLT that make use of Adaptive Optics (AO). Such systems work by means of a computer-controlled deformable mirror that counteracts the image distortion induced by atmospheric turbulence (see e.g. ESO Press Release 25/01).
The astronomers can only see the projected separation between the star and the planet (that is, the separation projected on the plane of the sky).
"A probable giant planet imaged in the β Pictoris disk. VLT/NACO Deep L-band imaging", by A.-M. Lagrange et al., 2008, Letter to the Editor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, in press. (a PDF file can be downloaded here)
The team is composed of A.-M. Lagrange, G. Chauvin, D. Ehrenreich, and D. Mouillet (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble, France), D. Gratadour, G. Rousset, D. Rouan and E. Gendron (LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, France), T. Fusco, and L. Mugnier (Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales, Chatillon, France), F. Allard (Centre de Recherche Astronomique de Lyon, France), and the NAOS Consortium.
Tel: +33 4 7651 4203
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About the Release
|Legacy ID:||PR 42/08|
|Facility:||Very Large Telescope|
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Charlotte Planners: John Nolen
Excerpted from Neighborhoods: Charlotte's Neighborhood Planning Tradition
by Dr. Thomas W. Hanchett
Photo from Mary Norton Kratt and Thomas W. Hanchett, Legacy: The Myers Park Story (Myers Park Foundation, 1986).
Three of the most important city planning firms in the United States helped shape Charlotte. They were the Olmsted Brothers, John Nolen, and Earle Draper. All worked in the city during the boom years of the 1910s and 1920s. They gave the city new ideals in urban design which are still followed today. In addition, Nolen and Draper took lessons learned in Charlotte's neighborhoods and applied them in hundreds of cities throughout the nation, giving Charlotte's early planning efforts special importance.
When Charlotte's original hundred acre tract was laid off in house lots in the 1770s the city fathers chose a gridiron street pattern. A surveyor, either hired by the village or supplied by the colonial government, laid out the streets at right angles to each other. Many cities of the era were not planned at all, with streets growing up from trails and cowpaths running in every direction. The grid was the most popular alternative because it was orderly and easy to understand, and its straight lines meant that it could be created quickly and broken up into lots easily. Charlotte's reliance on the grid continued throughout the nineteenth century.
In the 1910s Charlotte's New South leaders, as part of their drive to make Charlotte a modern city, hired John Nolen, the Olmsted Brothers, and Earle Sumner Draper who turned the city forever from the grid pattern. The very idea of having a landscape architect/city planner design streets was unusual. In progressive Dilworth, Latta had hired Joseph Forsyth Johnston, a landscape architect from New York City, to create Latta Park and evidently also asked him for suggestions on the surrounding street pattern. Most areas, though, were laid out methodically by surveyors or civil engineers.
Nolen, the Olmsteds, and Draper were part of a generation with a strong appreciation for nature. America's first National Parks were established in the era and the conservation movement blossomed, extending even to President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09). Landscape architects sought to bring this consciousness to city planning.
John Nolen's first job in Charlotte was the design of Independence Park in June of 1905. 7 Independence was the city's first public park, and it was also Nolen's first public commission after his graduation from Harvard University's School of Landscape Architecture. Nolen went on to become one of the nation's top city planners, designing more than 400 projects across the nation and helping to found the first city planning professional organization. 1
Nolen was part of a movement in the decades around the turn of the century that sought social reform in America's cities, a movement that included such well-known figures as social worker Jane Addams and muckraker Lincoln Steffens. Born in lower-middle-class circumstances in Philadelphia in 1869, Nolen graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton School majoring in economics and public administration. 2 He spent ten years as executive secretary of the American Society for the Extension of University Teaching, a "people's university" which brought college-level night classes to the urban working class.
By 1903, after visits to Europe's "Garden City" experiments, he became convinced that the new profession of city planning was more effective way for him to improve urban conditions. 3 The Garden City idea, begun in England in the 1890s, proposed medium-sized new towns surrounded by greenbelts. The new communities were to be carefully planned by professional designers to include the best features of both city and country, and to be self-sustaining with commercial and industrial areas as well as residences. No university in the United States yet offered a city planning degree, so Nolen enrolled in Harvard's School of Landscape Architecture and graduated in 1905 at age thirty-six. 4
It is not known how Nolen came to be engaged by the Charlotte Park and Tree Commission to design Independence Park. The job proved quite fortuitous to Nolen's career. While he was in town a young real estate developer named George Stephens commissioned him to design the grounds of Stephens' own residence. 5 Evidently the result greatly impressed Stephens, and he became Nolen's patron for a substantial number of projects all over North Carolina. 6
In 1909 Nolen drew plans for Stephens' Kanuga Lake resort colony Hendersonville, North Carolina, now a religious retreat for the Episcopal Church. 7 In the early teens, possibly as a result of Stephens' influence, he planned Greensboro's country-club suburb of Irving Park in Guilford County near where Stephens had been born. 8 Nolen did the 1918 plan for the expansion of the campus of Stephens' alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill. 9 In the 1920s he prepared a city plan for Stephens' adoptive home town of Asheville, North Carolina, a document that received national attention as one of the first thorough small city plans in the Southeast. 10 Later projects included a new town development called Penderlea in Pender County, North Carolina, for the U. S. Farm Service Administration, and a western North Carolina regional plan undertaken in connection with Stephens' advocacy of the proposed Blue Ridge Parkway. 11
At the same time, John Nolen continued his activities in Charlotte. Between 1905 and 1907 he designed grounds for private residences of Stephens' partner F. C. Abbott, Chamber of Commerce leader Wade Harris, E. R. Russell, P. M. Brown, A. J. Crowell, W.B. Rodman. L.A. Dodsworth, R.A.Dunn, F.O. Hawley, and O. A. Robbins. 12 In April 1907 Nolen visited the city and gave a slide lecture on "Parks and Playgrounds" illustrated with stereoptican slides. 13 That June, the Park and Tree Commission hired him once again, to provide designs for the area around the city Post Office, known as Vance Square, and for the old cemetery behind First Presbyterian Church, then known as Cemetery Square and now called Settlers Cemetery. 14
In 1911 John Nolen returned to Charlotte at George Stephens' behest, to work on his greatest project in the city, the suburb of Myers Park. 15 Stephens spared little expense, and gave Nolen free rein to plan a state-of-the-art "unified suburban design." Myers Park gave the city curving tree-lined avenues, grand boulevards with landscaped medians, and the beginnings of a system of greenway parks along creek banks. The results will be discussed in a later section of this report, but suffice it to say here that Myers Park has proved to be Charlotte's most lastingly successful suburb, and a model for similar developments across the South.
Nolen's final job in Charlotte was preparation of preliminary studies for what would have been the city's first master plan. The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce hired him in 1917 to gather and map data on existing land use, population densities, racial patterns, industrial location, transportation corridors, land values, water and sewer lines, and parks. 16 The resulting Civic Survey is an extremely comprehensive and meticulous picture of this Southern city at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The Civic Survey was intended to lead to preparation of a full scale plan. Such a plan was vital to Charlotte's orderly growth; Charlotteans had given up the old grid city with its easy understandability and it was necessary now that some other form or organization be developed to tie together all the new suburbs. At the end of the Civic Survey field supervisor Earle Draper sketched an indication of what the plan might look like. He extended Nolen's Independence Park and Edgehill Road Park into a city-wide network of greenways along stream beds. Boulevards radiated from the center of the city to carry commuters, and a belt road ringed the old urban core to provide easy cross-town travel.
The Chamber never appropriated the money to allow Nolen to turn his data into a master plan. Nolen watched sadly as potential greenways were cut up into residential backyards, and as expanding development made the possibility of new radial and belt roads more and more expensive. He wrote Chamber official Clarence Quester in 1924, "I think Charlotte is slipping so far as city planning goes. There are examples in the city of errors that are costly and more or less irremediable. Other errors will follow without a city plan." 16
Charlotte remained without a coherent development scheme throughout its early twentieth century boom years. No comprehensive plan was adopted until 1960. 18 Ironically, its proposals were very similar to Nolen and Draper's in concept. During the 1970s the city finally completed a belt road, dubbed "Charlotte 4", and in the 1980s is struggling to buy up floodplain greenways.
John Nolen's work in Charlotte and North Carolina in the 1900s through 1920s was only part of his growing national practice. From his start in Independence Park, Nolen went on to be one of the nation's busiest planners, with projects ranging from private estates to some of America's first regional plans. By the time he began Myers Park he had already had private commissions all over the East Coast from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Havana, Cuba. 19 In the teens and twenties he became sought after by municipalities. He delighted in drawing city plans to guide small Charlotte-sized places with great growth potential. His designs for such places as Wisconsin's capital city of Madison, and California's capital of Sacramento and port of San Diego, among many others, are important factors in the shape those cities retain to this day.
In addition to his planning work, Nolen was a major leader in the creation of a network of professional planning organizations. In 1917, just as he was completing Charlotte's Civic Survey, he helped found the American Institute of City Planners (later the American Institute of Planners). 20 He also participated in creation of the American Society of Planning Officials and the National Housing Association, and was the first American president of the International Federation of Housing and Town Planning. 21 The honors underscored the fact that Nolen was considered a leader of his profession. When he died in 1937 the New York Times praised him as an "internationally known architect and pioneer in modern city and regional planning." 22
Along with the Olmsted Brothers and a handful of other early twentieth century practitioners, John Nolen helped transform American city planning. 23 Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., had developed the principles of sensitive urban design in the nineteenth century, but it was Nolen's generation that created "city planning" as a full-fledged profession to carry out those principles, with its own educational background and professional organizations. John Nolen helped set up planning schools at major universities including Harvard and M.I.T. and his six books, dozens of articles, and thousands of speeches aided in "spreading the gospel" of city planning. By the end of his life, cities no longer saw planning as a rich man's luxury, but as an integral part of municipal growth, and many large places had their own planning departments. John Nolen's far-ranging impact as a city planning pioneer makes his early Charlotte work of special interest to students of urban development.
1 John L. Hancock, John Nolen: a Bibliographical Record of Achievement (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University, Program in Urban and Regional Studies, 1976), pp. 13-17. See also Scott, p. 738.
2 Hancock, John Nolen: a Bibliographical Record. . ., pp. 15-16. John L. Hancock, "John Nolen and the American City Planning Movement: A History of Cultural Change and Community Response, 1900-1940" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 1964), pp. 1-20.
3. Hancock, John Nolen: a Bibliographical Record. . ., p. 16. Hancock, "John Nolen and the American City Planning Movement. . .", pp. 21-37.
4 Hancock, John Nolen: a Bibliographical Record..., p. 16.
5 "Draft of Preliminary Finding Guide: Papers of John Nolen, Sr., 1869-1937," collection 2903, Cornell University Department of Manuscripts and Archives, Ithaca, New York. The "Finding Guide" includes a copy of Nolen's "job book" listing all his projects chronologically.
6 Hancock, "John Nolen and the American City Planning Movement. . .," p. 42.
7Charlotte Observer, December 15, 1943.
8 Stephens' connection with the Greensboro project needs to be explored. Plans for the street layout and gates are in the Nolen collection at Cornell. It has not been possible to determine exactly when Nolen created the streetplan. A draft essay by Ray Manieri of Greensboro, "From City Beautiful to City Useful: the Development of Civic Improvement Activities in Greensboro, North Carolina, 1900-1923," April, 1982, places the design in 1911, based on an undated promotional booklet. One large scale street plan in the Nolen papers is undated, but the rest of the documents were produced in 1915 and 1916.
9 Hancock, John Nolen: a Bibliographical Record. . ., p. 20.
10 Ibid., pp. 26, 30, 64.
11 Ibid., pp. 14, 66.
12 "Draft of Preliminary Finding Guide. . .," job list.
13 Charlotte Daily Observer, April 20, 1907.
14 "Draft of Preliminary Finding Guide. . .," job list. According to Kathleen Jacklin at the Cornell archives, Nolen's office discarded all material from these earliest designs.
16 John Nolen, "Civic Survey, Charlotte, North Carolina: Report to the Chamber of Commerce" (Cambridge, Massachusetts: typescript, 1917). The only known surviving copy of this document is in John Nolen's papers at Cornell.
17 John Nolen, letter to Clarence Kuester, March, 1924, in Nolen collection at Cornell.
18 Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission, "The Charlotte Mecklenburg Comprehensive Plan (draft)" (Charlotte: Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission, 1973), p. 4.
19 "Draft of Preliminary Finding Guide. . ," job list.
20 Scott, p. 164.
21 Hancock, John Nolen: a Bibliographical Record. . ., p. 16.
22 New York Times, February 19, 1937.
For more information...
Neighborhoods: Charlotte's Neighborhood Planning Tradition
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Dengue Fever in India
04 March 2013
Dengue fever is a growing concern in India. In 2012, 247 deaths were recorded as a result of dengue fever nationwide.
Latest data on disease prevalence released by the Health Ministry shows a significant rise in the incidence of dengue fever from 18 860 cases in 2011, to 49 606 in year 2012.
Around 1700 dengue cases were reported from Delhi in 2012.
Advice for Travellers
India is a popular tourist destination and travellers should be aware of the risk of dengue fever. Avoidance of mosquito bites, particularly during daylight hours, by covering up with clothing, the use of bite avoidance measures such as repellent and bed nets is advised. Elimination of breeding sites around hotel rooms/houses is advised for longer term stays.
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Glossary of Generalized Anxiety Disoder Terms
Definition of hedonic treadmill
Definition of learned helplessness
Description of norepinephrine
Description of serotonin
Definition of manic episode.
Major Depressive Episode
Definition of major depressive episode
Definition of negative reinforcement
Definition of substance abuse
Definition of substance dependence
Definition of panic attack and how it is related to generalized anxiety disorder
Definition and description of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
Definition of social phobia and how it can be related to GAD
Definition of agoraphobia and how it can be related to GAD.
Definition of specific phobia and the various subtypes.
definition of mood disorder
Description of depression
Discussion of psychotherapy related to generalized anxiety disorder
definition of an anxiety disorder
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|• Total||10.56 km2 (4.08 sq mi)|
|Elevation||396.4 m (1,300.5 ft)|
Lipica (Italian: Lipizza) is a village in the Municipality of Sežana in the Littoral region of Slovenia, close to the border with Italy. Lipica is one of the main tourist centers of Slovenia's Karst region and it is known for the Lipica Stud Farm.
The name of the settlement is derived from the Slovenian word lipa 'linden tree'. The species is common in the area and is a national symbol of Slovenia. The staff at the Lipica Stud Farm plant a new linden tree for every foal born.
From the 14th century until 1947, Lipica was part of the municipality of Trieste. When Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria (son of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor) decided to establish a new stud farm in the 16th century, the Spanish horse was considered the ideal horse breed. Because the soil and climate in the Karst region is similar to that of Spain, Lipica was chosen as the perfect spot for the new farm. The Lipica stud farm was established in 1580 and the first horses were bought from Spain in 1581 (24 broodmares and 6 stallions). The farmers living in the area at the time were evicted and resettled in Laže.
A coal mine operated east of the settlement from 1778 to 1817. Coal mining was attempted at the site again in 1857 and at sporadic later dates, but was deemed uneconomical because it is deposited only in lenses. Coal from the mine was once used at the sugar refinery in Rijeka. In 1947, Lipica was annexed to Yugoslavia and incorporated into Slovenia as a constituent republic.
Mass grave
Lipica is the site of a mass grave associated with the Second World War. The Lipica Shaft Mass Grave (Slovene: Grobišče Lipiško brezno) is located about 500 m southwest of the tree-lined boulevard by the stud farm. It contains an undetermined number of human remains.
Lipica Stud Farm
Lipica is the origin of the Lipizzan horse. The Lipizzan breed as known today was fully developed in the time of Maria Theresa of Austria, whose husband was greatly interested in horse-breeding. During the Napoleonic wars, the stud farm was relocated to Székesfehérvár. In 1802, an earthquake struck Lipica, killing large numbers of horses. The stud farm was relocated to Đakovo in 1805, to Pecica (near Mezőhegyes) in 1809, to Laxenburg during the First World War, and then to Kladruby nad Labem. After the First World War, when Lipica was awarded to Italy, most of the horses were returned to Lipica. On 16 October 1943, the stud farm and 178 horses were relocated to Hostouň. After the Second World War, the farm had only 11 horses; all of the others had been confiscated by the Germans during the war. In the 1960s, Lipica was opened to tourists and new development began. In 1996, Lipica became a public institution that is owned by the Republic of Slovenia and has made significant progress since then. Queen Elizabeth II visited Lipica and its stud farm on 22 October 2008 and was presented with a Lipizzan horse as a gift from the Slovenian people. Today the Lipica Stud Farm is fully functional and breeds the finest horses for haute-école riding. The stud farm now also includes a hotel and leisure complex, a modern adjunct to a historical setting.
The Lipica Open
The Lipica Open is an international orienteering competition that is held every year at the beginning of March. It is the biggest orienteering competition in Slovenia and was held for the first time in 1992.
Other places of interest
Other places of interest in and near Lipica include:
- The Avgust Černigoj gallery
- The Škocjan Caves system (Škocjanske jame/Grotte di San Canziano), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Vilenica Cave, the oldest show cave in Europe (with guided tours since 1633)
- The Valley of Our Lady of Lourdes (Slovene: Dolina Lurške Matere Božje): an outdoor church and a local pilgrimage destination
Notable people
Notable people that were born or lived in Lipica include:
- Ivan Slavec (1859–1940), co-founder of the newspaper Primorski list and the last Slovene-speaking priest at the Trieste cathedral
- Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
- Sežana Municipality site
- Snoj, Marko. 2009. Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, pp. 234–235.
- Savnik, Roman, ed. 1968. Krajevni leksikon Slovenije, vol. 1. Ljubljana: Državna založba Slovenije, pp. 319–320.
- Lipica Shaft Mass Grave on Geopedia (Slovene)
- BBC News 22 October 2008
- Lipica Stud Farm site
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UK Telegraph had the original report
This astounding achievement is a big step toward protecting sensitive electronics and the delicate human body against the radioactive effects of manned missions between the planets.
Earlier paper from 2008 - The interaction of a flowing plasma with a dipole magnetic field: measurements and modelling of a diamagnetic cavity relevant to spacecraft protection
Minimag presenation from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, early 2010
In results just published in the journal Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, they have devised a system no bigger than a large desk that uses the same energy as an electric kettle. Two mini-magnetospheres will be contained within two mini satellites located outside the spaceship. Should there be an increase in solar wind flux, or an approaching cloud of energetic particles from a flare and/or coronal mass ejection (CME), the magnetospheres can be switched on and the solar ions are deflected away from the spacecraft.
If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks
Ocean Floor Gold and Copper
Ocean Floor Mining Company
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• Incubation: 18-20 days
• Clutch Size: 4 eggs
• Young Fledge: 16-21 days after hatching
• Typical Foods: insects, aquatic invertebrates and seeds
Female red phalaropes are stunning -- they are a rich chestnut color with a dark crown and white face. However, virtually all Ohio birds are in drab non-breeding plumage.
Habitat and Habits
This species prefers the open waters of Lake Erie. It is most typically found along stone jetties and breakwalls in sheltered harbors. The flight call is similar to that of the red-necked phalarope, but generally higher pitched.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Breeding takes place in Alaska and northern Canada. Nests are hollows in the ground of marshy tundra. The male raises the young.
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Writing An Acceptable Use Policy For Your School
A helpful guide to creating an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for a school's use of services provided by the Internet. The author notes that an AUP is the most important document a school will create since it states the terms, conditions, and rules of Internet use determined by a school or district. Topics include: What is an AUP; Why Establish an AUP; Objectives of an AUP; Components; Distribution; Samples (web based); Resources (web based). Additional coverage is given to writing policy statements and consent forms, and maintaining copyrights, netiquette, privacy, and user responsibility.
Books & Booklets; Internet Resources
Administration & Leadership
Administrator, Teacher, Board Member / Trustee
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The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations
Human well-being relies critically on ecosystem services provided by nature. Examples include water and air quality regulation, nutrient cycling and decomposition, plant pollination and flood control, all of which are dependent on biodiversity. They are predominantly public goods with limited or no markets and do not command any price in the conventional economic system, so their loss is often not detected and continues unaddressed and unabated. This in turn not only impacts human well-being, but also seriously undermines the sustainability of the economic system.
It is against this background that TEEB: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project was set up in 2007 and led by the United Nations Environment Programme to provide a comprehensive global assessment of economic aspects of these issues. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, written by a team of international experts, represents the scientific state of the art, providing a comprehensive assessment of the fundamental ecological and economic principles of measuring and valuing ecosystem services and biodiversity, and showing how these can be mainstreamed into public policies. The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity and subsequent TEEB outputs will provide the authoritative knowledge and guidance to drive forward the biodiversity conservation agenda for the next decade.
1. Integrating the Ecological and Economic Dimensions in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Valuation
2. Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services
3. Measuring Biophysical Quantities and the Use of Indicators
4. The Socio-cultural Context of Ecosystem and Biodiversity Valuation
5. The Economics of Valuing Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity
6. Discounting, Ethics, and Options for Maintaining Biodiversity and Ecosystem Integrity
7. Lessons Learned and Linkages with National Policies
Appendix 1: How the TEEB Framework Can be Applied: The Amazon Case
Appendix 2: Matrix Tables for Wetland and Forest Ecosystems
Appendix 3: Estimates of Monetary Values of Ecosystem Services
"A landmark study on one of the most pressing problems facing society, balancing economic growth and ecological protection to achieve a sustainable future."
- Simon Levin, Moffett Professor of Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolution Behaviour, Princeton University, USA
"TEEB brings a rigorous economic focus to bear on the problems of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, and on their impacts on human welfare. TEEB is a very timely and useful study not only of the economic and social dimensions of the problem, but also of a set of practical solutions which deserve the attention of policy-makers around the world."
- Nicholas Stern, I.G. Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the London School of Economics and Chairman of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
"The [TEEB] project should show us all how expensive the global destruction of the natural world has become and – it is hoped – persuade us to slow down.' The Guardian 'Biodiversity is the living fabric of this planet – the quantum and the variability of all its ecosystems, species, and genes. And yet, modern economies remain largely blind to the huge value of the abundance and diversity of this web of life, and the crucial and valuable roles it plays in human health, nutrition, habitation and indeed in the health and functioning of our economies. Humanity has instead fabricated the illusion that somehow we can get by without biodiversity, or that it is somehow peripheral to our contemporary world. The truth is we need it more than ever on a planet of six billion heading to over nine billion people by 2050. This volume of 'TEEB' explores the challenges involved in addressing the economic invisibility of biodiversity, and organises the science and economics in a way decision makers would find it hard to ignore."
- Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme
This volume is an output of TEEB: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study and has been edited by Pushpam Kumar, Reader in Environmental Economics, University of Liverpool, UK. TEEB is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UENP) and supported by the European Commission, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) and the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), recently joined by Norway's Ministry for Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands' Ministry of Housing (VROM), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and also the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The study leader is Pavan Sukhdev, who is also Special Adviser – Green Economy Initiative, UNEP.
View other products from the same publisher
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The issue of Nubian rights is an often neglected and poorly understood issue for public opinion. This is not a big surprise since Egyptians did not get any education on that part of their country and it hardly ever surfaces as part of the political discussion. Despite the active participation of Nubians in and before the revolution; their efforts to highlight their cause and their history of discrimination, little attention is given to them. Nubians have more recently become a part of the political discussion, more evident in the presidential race. However, as usual Nubians were excluded from participating in shaping their country’s future as none of them was selected to be in the constitution drafting committee.
Nubians are the inhabitants of a historical part in the South of Egypt and Northern Sudan. Their suffering started long before the building of the High Dam in 1964; it was in 1902 when Aswan Dam was built. The end result was about 44 villages that drowned along with the historic area that witnessed one of the humanity’s earliest civilizations. Some of the villages even drowned without prior notice; village inhabitants would wake up one day to find their property, their land and their cattle drowned. They were moved away to the desert land of Kom Ombo despite their heavy reliance on the Nile for agriculture all their life. They never received their rightful compensation for their displacement despite many promises made by successive regimes. They postponed the call for their rights several times for considerations of war and national crises. In addition, Nubians suffered from political, economic and cultural marginalization. School curricula exclude their cultural heritage and their language is not taught in schools (even in areas where they live) and it may become extinct if efforts are not made to preserve it.
Despite the marginalization, Nubian always asserted their “Egyptianness”. They have taken numerous patriotic stances and sacrificed several times for the sake of their country. They deserve respect not only for their struggle, but because they’re Egyptian and deserve full citizenship. They are fighting for their rights and their place in the new scene after the revolution. However their struggle exemplifies the many of the issues that Egypt suffers from:
Firstly, the “Nubian issue” reflects our crisis with growing racism and intolerance. Clearly, discrimination against different groups in Egypt is not uncommon whether it was based on gender, religious beliefs, class, etc. Activist Fatma Emam recently wrote an article of her experience as a black Egyptian and the racism she encounters on a daily basis. Her article served as a wakeup call for so many who were unaware of such experiences to “black Egyptians”. Moreover, a common issue often cited by Nubians is that most Egyptians assume they’re Sudanese or African as if Egypt doesn’t have that southern part where darker-skinned people live. The problem highlighted here is not only that we are being racist, but we are also in deep denial about it.
However, it’s not hard to find reasons why the situation has become so deteriorated. We lived under a centuries of authoritarianism and colonialism. Both systems usually play the cards of racism and divide-and-conquer very well; and they deprive societies from progressing towards pluralism. I am not justifying the racism or discrimination. However, I believe that’s a major lesson to be learnt. The more marginalized people are, the more likely people would want to rebel. And we can take South Sudan as an example. When people do not enjoy full participation and self-determination, they no longer want to be part of a country that denies them those rights.
Secondly, the “Nubian issue” also reflects a crisis with our “elite”, and by elite here I mean our opinion leaders, intellectuals, and media people. We may also add the emerging younger elite that started to gain more visibility after the revolution. A few of the elite come out to speak up about discrimination, racism, and Nubian rights. This can be seen a part of bigger elite crisis reflected in their detachment from the public and their failure to truly engage the public. Even when the revolution began, it was hardly credited for the efforts of the elite. It is sad that the people who should lead the change get trapped by infighting and at many cases follow their own personal interests.
One explanation that could be given as to why “the elite” shy away from the Nubian cause is considerations of populism. It seems like the Nubian issue is not “sexy” or “doesn’t sell” for intellectuals, so more favorable topics are preferred. For example, we will not find a lack of “elite” who spoke out against Palestinian displacement, but a handful who spoke against Nubian displacements.
We know that activism is more effective when there is more solidarity from different groups. That’s why women issues would be further promoted if more men stand by them, and Christians’ rights would be easier to attain if more Muslims speak up against their violations. It is true that more people now calling for inclusion and representation than ever before, but a strong stance against racism, sectarianism and discrimination is still much needed.
Thirdly, history tells us that many peoples were exploited under many guises. Arab nationalism was one of those ideologies under which lots of abuses and violations against minorities in different Arab countries were justified. The attack on other languages and cultures within Arab nations carried the banner of Arab nationalism. I would personally be happy with Arab union and with breaking geographical and economic barriers between us one day. However, all I can see that from now are big shiny words about Arab brotherhood and solidarity, while none of it is materializing.
Until now, Nubians are accused of separationism when they speak up for their rights. And more often than not they’re told it’s not the right time to bring it up. It’s time for us to realize that values of democracy and diversity must be respected and should never be taken away under any ideological guise or notion. Discrimination cannot be condoned or downplayed anymore; we can’t even afford it anymore.
Thanks Fatma Emam for the advice given for producing this piece.
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Basics: What is the GRE®?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE®) is a standardized test used by graduate programs to help determine who gets in and who receives grants and fellowships. The exam comes in two types: the general exam, which covers a range of non-specific skills developed over a long period of time and years of schooling, and the subject tests, which test depth of knowledge in eight different fields. Worldwide, about half a million people take the general test each year, while a much smaller number takes the subject exams.
The general test is computer-based and consists of three sections, verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing. Verbal and quant are each scored on a scale of 130-170, in 1-point increments, plus a percentile rank. The writing section is scored on a scale of 0-6, in half-point increments. The test does not cover specifics in any field of study, but rather a set of skills thought to be important for prospective grad students.
The subject tests, on the other hand, are paper-based and administered 3 times a year. Unlike the general test, the subject test assumes extensive knowledge. Tests cover the following areas: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Literature in English; Mathematics; Physics; and Psychology. To determine whether you should take the general test or one of these subject-specific exams, you’ll need to check with the programs where you’re applying. For any field without a subject test, you’ll take the general exam.
Next Basics article: GRE® Test Format
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The effect of monocular depth cues on the detection of moving objects by a moving observer
As observers move through the environment, they must detect moving objects. Previously, we showed that observers can use 2D image speed to detect moving objects in the radial optic flow field generated by a moving observer. However, a difference in image speed may signal either a moving object or a depth difference between stationary objects. Adding depth information may remove this ambiguity. We tested observers' ability to detect a moving object in scenes that contained increasingly salient monocular depth cues. We simulated observer motion in a straight line at a speed of 3 m/sec toward a scene that consisted of a textured ground plane with 8 objects located 12 m from the observer. In two conditions the objects were featureless red disks (diameter: 0.4 m) located on the horizontal midline that were either separate from the ground plane (condition 1) or connected to it with a thin line, giving a cue to distance (condition 2). In condition 3, the objects were textured blocks (width: 0.55 m; height: 1.6 m) located on the ground plane, giving further cues to depth. In half the trials one object moved faster (or slower) than the other objects in the scene. The speed differences ranged from 10% to 100% of the image speed of non-targets. Each trial lasted 1 sec. Observers indicated with a key press whether or not the scene contained a moving object. Thresholds were computed by fitting the data with a sigmoidal curve and determining the percent speed difference that led to 75% accuracy. For the 6 subjects tested, the results show a significant effect of scene condition, with average threshold speed changes of 43%, 37% and 25% for conditions 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Thus, monocular depth cues aid the detection of moving objects by moving observers.
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Humans are strange, thrill-seeking creatures. We crave not just a thrill, but something so terrifying that we think, if only for a moment, that we might not actually survive. For those of us not ready for base jumping in wing suits, roller coasters can fulfill that excitement lust. And the amusement park fixtures may never have existed if not for something decidedly unthrilling (though important!): coal mining.
In the early 19th century, a coal company operator in Pennsylvania named Josiah White decided to allow the locals a ride on the mine's trains after hours. The trip was an intense 9-mile dive down a mountain, and people loved it. Mules carried the cars back up once they reached the bottom.
Several years later, White invented roller coaster's first big innovation: the thing that makes that distinctive click while they climb. To help meet increasing coal demand, White expanded his operation by building a 664-foot vertical track climbing up a nearby mountain. The steep slope meant an increased risk that cars could lose their grip and slide backwards. So White added a third rail in the middle along with cars equipped with ratchets that engaged with the middle track to prevent backsliding.
Trolley companies jumped into the amusement game at the close of the 19th century, adding small parks at the end of their lines. One notable trolley terminal at Coney Island brought roller coaster culture into the mainstream with rapid-fire coaster innovation. A 600-foot, gravity-powered, switchback railway going an astonishing six (!!!) mph, was such a success that its inventor, La Marcus Thompson, recouped the $1,600 bucks he spent on building the ride in just six weeks. Another inventor turned the typically linear tracks into a loop. Yet another in 1885 kicked his ride off with a powered hoist that yanked cars up to the top of a hill before letting them go.
Just 10 years later, Coney Island introduced the vertical loop to the roller coaster design cannon with the Flip-Flap Railway. The 25-foot inversion was physically uncomfortable to say the least, and it only operated for a few years. Then, in 1901, a coaster with a more gentle oval design mitigated the G-forces. Side note: the lap bar had not yet entered the scene. During the upside down parts, G-forces and handles on the side of the cars were the only things holding riders in.
Higher speeds, thankfully, brought better safety precautions-something absolutely necessary when whipping around at 150 mph without even a helmet. (Did you know there is a roller coaster in Abu Dhabi that goes 150mph?!) Flying forward at even half that clip will make your body feel like a twisted slinky, thanks to G Forces in three directions. But here's the thing: engineers have gotten really good at fine-tuning these G-forces to your benefit.
A 5-G force makes a 100-pound person feel like she weighs 500 pounds. Kent Bachmann, the director of design and engineering for Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, says they stop short of 5Gs, "because some people black out—but we flirt with it." Your body will register 5Gs at anything over 200 milliseconds, but if you hit 5Gs for a fraction of a second less than that, your body wont feel it. That dipping in and out of such intensity is all baked into the design. Alleviating some of that force is important, too, and elements like banked turns take the pressure off.
Sudden acceleration, change in direction, and the feeling of weightlessness also add to the thrill. Wooden roller coasters rely in part on that out of control feeling you get while speeding around the track. Older models were decidedly jolty, but more precise construction, thanks to better computer-powered design tools, allow modern "woodies" an experience reminiscent of coasters past, but without the residual head ache.
That particular out of control feeling comes from the materials. "Wood grows and shrinks with the weather, and the distance between the rails changes over time," says Evan Souliere, a design engineer at Great Coasters. "With steel, you're in constant contact with the track; with wood, you're not." It may feel like you're going to fly off the track, but the design ensures you won't. Wooden coaster tracks look like an upside down, inward pointing pair of Ls. On the top of the track, there's a strip of steel that the trains ride on. Just inside that, 90 degrees from the road wheel, is a guide track. A smaller set of wheels runs on this surface facing outward, stopping the cars from moving side to side. A third set of wheels runs on the underside of the track, pointing upwards, keeping the train from going airborne. Because there is movement in the wood, not all the wheels touch all the time-which is what makes us want to pee our pants as they lose contact with the seat.
Steel coasters can take you higher, faster, and offer more upside down time, but they still rely on sensory trickery. Hersheypark's new $25 million "Skyrush" coaster carries riders over an existing wooden looped ride, taking them what seems like arms reach of other park goers.
They've also stripped the 75 mph ride of upper body armor, leaving you free to throw your arms up unencumbered. There's a seat belt and lap bar combo that will keep you safe, but the feeling that perhaps you won't be makes the ride, which opens this summer, that much more terrifying.
Who knows, maybe humans would have invented roller coasters even without coal mining. Even in 15th-century Russia, long before the 100 mph-plus, 4G scream machines we have today, folks got their thrills by schlepping wooden toboggans up 70-foot hills to slide down an ice slope at 50-miles-per-hour. The man-made hills were called "flying mountains," and they sound quite terrifying, not to mention very dangerous—but also, of course, tantalizingly fun.
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First of all, these phrases sound very strange to me (I should have the context they are used into, in order to have a better understanding of them).
In Spanish such phrases may be an example of that is knoun as "Complemento del Nombre". I'm not sure if such a concept exists in English grammar. In Spanish you must think of that complement as some sort of adjective that specifies the role of the main noun.
Its structure is:
[Main Noun] de [Specifier Noun]
So, with the phrase "Fiestas de árboles", you have:
- Fiestas is the main noun.
- árboles is the specifier.
then you may have these meanings (among others, depending on the context):
- Parties attended by trees (should be better expressed with: Fiestas de los árboles).
- Parties made out of trees (parties whose main element are trees).
On the other hand, "Árboles de fiestas" may have these meanings:
- Abbreviation of Árboles que están de fiestas: trees which are going or attending to a party.
- Trees used within parties (should be also expressed with: Árboles para fiestas).
As you can see, at least the meanings I can think of these phrases are very similar for both cases.
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Filed underWebMD News
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visit CBS Denver's
Researchers have revealed a simple trick that may help athletes keep their cool during a game’s high-pressure moments. Their advice to avoid choking under pressure: Clench the fist of your non-dominant hand.
The findings appear in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.
In the study, right-handed athletes who squeezed a ball with their left hand or clenched their left fist before a competition were less likely to choke in high-stress matches.
Here’s why: The left side of the body is controlled by the right side of the brain.
“Increasing activation in the right hemisphere decreases activation in the left hemisphere,” says study researcher Juergen Beckmann, PhD.
Choking under pressure seems to be caused by a dominant activation in the left hemisphere, which controls key areas of the brain that help us psych ourselves out when under the gun.
Clenching Technique May Reduce Choke Risk
Brain scans show that a decrease of activation in the brain’s left hemisphere boosts performance, says Beckmann. He is the chair of sport psychology at the Technical University of Munich in Germany.
The researchers conducted three studies involving soccer players, judo experts, and badminton players. They tested the athletes’ skills during normal practice and during important matches that took place before a large crowd or video cameras. The researchers only tested right-handed people.
The athletes were less likely to choke under pressure when they squeezed a ball in their left hand than when they squeezed it in their right hand.
This technique seems to work best in situations where movements such as kicking a ball are automatic. Overthinking them, however, can impair performance.
“So far, we know that the technique seems to work only with complex motor tasks which have become automated,” says Beckmann. “It should not only work with sports but also … could be helpful for elderly people to maintain balance when they are afraid that they might fall.”
Break the Thought Cycle
Beckmann and his team are now studying the technique among expert musicians.
“It might also be useful for surgeons or other professions in which precision, pressure, and highly automated tasks combine,” he says. To date, the team has conducted 13 studies, including one with gymnasts. “Whenever the specified conditions were given, the technique never failed.”
David Straker, MD, says some athletes start thinking the worst when they step up to the plate in a baseball game or need to take a foul shot on the basketball court — and then they choke.
“They have likely done this thousands of times. And 99% of the time, they do it perfectly, but still they choke,” he says. Straker is an adjunct assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. He often recommends a short course of therapy to help people change how they think and overcome self-defeating thoughts.
“See a therapist and try to work on changing how you think in these situations,” he says. “When you start ruminating, take a step back and remind yourself that you have done this so many times and you do it well,” he says. “The fist- or ball-clenching technique used in the new study may also help distract people from the negative thoughts.”
In the Zone
And performance anxiety is not just an issue for athletes. “We know that elderly people are more likely to fall if they are thinking about it, and people also choke during exams even though they know the subject cold,” Straker says. Whatever the scenario, changing the thought process can make a difference.
Sports performance expert Todd Stofka puts it like this: “You think you can or think you can’t.” He is the founder of Philly Hypnosis Performance in Philadelphia and regularly helps athletes think that they can. “Your confidence dictates whether you do better or worse. It is more than positive thinking. It’s desired-results thinking.”
He often tells clients to visualize what they want in that high-stress moment. This process starts with breaking the initial connection.
“Think of it as a series of light switches,” he says. “You can pull your ear or adjust your shirt or do something to stop the negative thoughts, and from there can move toward visualizing hitting the ball out of the park.”
Being calm is also important. “Top performers play their very best when they are relaxed and in the zone,” he says. Getting in the zone starts with stopping anxiety-producing thoughts and anticipation.
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On April 30, 1789, George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States.
George Washington wrote the following on the eve of his inauguration:
It is said that every man has his portion of ambition. I may have mine, I suppose, as well as the rest, but if I know my own heart, my ambition would not lead me into public life; my only ambition is to do my duty in this world as well as I am capable of performing it, and to merit the good opinion of all good men.
We are so lucky, so very lucky, to have had this man in our “canon”. There’s as always, so much to say. One of the thing that strikes me about him is that he never wanted to seem like he was jostling for power or position. George Washington had many wonderful qualities and abilities – but it was this distaste for public life that I believe made him truly great. He went out of his way to let everyone know how unworthy he felt, how he hoped their trust in him was warranted, that he was eager to finally go home and live the life of a private man… But on this day in history, April 30, there was to be no private man anymore. His people had chosen him, and while Mount Vernon continued to call to him, he knew he must accept.
David McCullough describes, in his book on John Adams, inauguration day:
On the day of his inauguration, Thursday, April 30 1789, Washington rode to Federal Hall in a canary-yellow carriage pulled by six white horses and followed by a long column of New York militia in full dress. The air was sharp, the sun shone brightly, and with all work stopped in the city, the crowds along his route were the largest ever seen. It was as if all New York had turned out and more besides. “Many persons in the crowd,” reported the Gazette of the United States “were heard to say they should now die contented � nothing being wanted to complete their happiness � but the sight of the savior of his country.”
In the Senate Chamber were gathered the members of both houses of Congress, the Vice President, and sundry officials and diplomatic agents, all of whom rose when Washington made his entrance, looking solemn and stately. His hair powdered, he wore a dress sword, white silk stockings, shoes with silver buckles, and a suit of the same brown Hartford broadcloth that Adams, too, was wearing for the occasion. They might have been dressed as twins, except that Washington’s metal buttons had eagles on them.
It was Adams who formally welcomed the General and escorted him to the dais. For an awkward moment Adams appeared to be in some difficulty, as though he had forgotten what he was supposed to say. then, addressing Washington, he declared that the Senate and House of Representatives were ready to attend him for the oath of office as required by the Constitution. Washington said he was ready. Adams bowed and led the way to the outer balcony, in full view of the throng in the streets. People were cheering and waving from below, and from windows and rooftops as far as the eye could see. Washington bowed once, then a second time.
Fourteen years earlier, it had been Adams who called on the Continental Congress to make the tall Virginian commander-in-chief of the army. Now he stood at Washington’s side as Washington, his right hand on the Bible, repeated the oath of office as read by Chancellor Robert R. Livingston of New York, who had also been a member of the Continental Congress.
In a low voice Washington solemnly swore to execute the office of the President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Then, as not specified in the Constitution, he added, “So help me God”, and kissed the Bible, thereby establishing his own first presidential tradition.
“It is done,” Livingston said, and, turning to the crowd, cried out, “Long live George Washington, President of the United States.”
The following is George Washington’s first inaugural address. What I sense in these words is what I sense in so many of the original documents of that time, written by the main players: they were embarking on a grand and hopeful experiment. They were entering uncharted waters. And they all seem determined (each in their different ways, with their different views) to make the most of the opportunity, to seize the day. No decision was unimportant, everything had meaning … and what I also sense in this inaugural address is that Washington knew that he wasn’t only talking to the people present, but he was also talking to us. The future generations. They all knew that they were being watched, carefully, by those who would come after.
The only thing required of a President on his inauguration day, in those early early days, was that he take the oath of Office. Washington, in composing an address, to the people who put their faith in him, set the precedent. Every president since then has followed his example.
George Washington’s first inaugural address:
Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and of the House of Representatives:
Among the vicissitudes incident to life no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order, and received on the 14th day of the present month. On the one hand, I was summoned by my Country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love, from a retreat which I had chosen with the fondest predilection, and, in my flattering hopes, with an immutable decision, as the asylum of my declining years–a retreat which was rendered every day more necessary as well as more dear to me by the addition of habit to inclination, and of frequent interruptions in my health to the gradual waste committed on it by time. On the other hand, the magnitude and difficulty of the trust to which the voice of my country called me, being sufficient to awaken in the wisest and most experienced of her citizens a distrustful scrutiny into his qualifications, could not but overwhelm with despondence one who (inheriting inferior endowments from nature and unpracticed in the duties of civil administration) ought to be peculiarly conscious of his own deficiencies. In this conflict of emotions all I dare aver is that it has been my faithful study to collect my duty from a just appreciation of every circumstance by which it might be affected. All I dare hope is that if, in executing this task, I have been too much swayed by a grateful remembrance of former instances, or by an affectionate sensibility to this transcendent proof of the confidence of my fellow-citizens, and have thence too little consulted my incapacity as well as disinclination for the weighty and untried cares before me, my error will be palliated by the motives which mislead me, and its consequences be judged by my country with some share of the partiality in which they originated.
Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes, and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the functions allotted to his charge. In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow- citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage. These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me, I trust, in thinking that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free government can more auspiciously commence.
By the article establishing the executive department it is made the duty of the President “to recommend to your consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” The circumstances under which I now meet you will acquit me from entering into that subject further than to refer to the great constitutional charter under which you are assembled, and which, in defining your powers, designates the objects to which your attention is to be given. It will be more consistent with those circumstances, and far more congenial with the feelings which actuate me, to substitute, in place of a recommendation of particular measures, the tribute that is due to the talents, the rectitude, and the patriotism which adorn the characters selected to devise and adopt them. In these honorable qualifications I behold the surest pledges that as on one side no local prejudices or attachments, no separate views nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great assemblage of communities and interests, so, on another, that the foundation of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens and command the respect of the world. I dwell on this prospect with every satisfaction which an ardent love for my country can inspire, since there is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.
Besides the ordinary objects submitted to your care, it will remain with your judgment to decide how far an exercise of the occasional power delegated by the fifth article of the Constitution is rendered expedient at the present juncture by the nature of objections which have been urged against the system, or by the degree of inquietude which has given birth to them. Instead of undertaking particular recommendations on this subject, in which I could be guided by no lights derived from official opportunities, I shall again give way to my entire confidence in your discernment and pursuit of the public good; for I assure myself that whilst you carefully avoid every alteration which might endanger the benefits of an united and effective government, or which ought to await the future lessons of experience, a reverence for the characteristic rights of freemen and a regard for the public harmony will sufficiently influence your deliberations on the question how far the former can be impregnably fortified or the latter be safely and advantageously promoted.
To the foregoing observations I have one to add, which will be most properly addressed to the House of Representatives. It concerns myself, and will therefore be as brief as possible. When I was first honored with a call into the service of my country, then on the eve of an arduous struggle for its liberties, the light in which I contemplated my duty required that I should renounce every pecuniary compensation. From this resolution I have in no instance departed; and being still under the impressions which produced it, I must decline as inapplicable to myself any share in the personal emoluments which may be indispensably included in a permanent provision for the executive department, and must accordingly pray that the pecuniary estimates for the station in which I am placed may during my continuance in it be limited to such actual expenditures as the public good may be thought to require.
Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.
William Maclay, a senator from Pennsylvania, kept a daily journal – highly detailed, and rather cynical, about the Senate sessions of the first Congress. He describes the first inauguration in vivid detail:
30th April, Thursday.–This is a great, important day. Goddess of etiquette, assist me while I describe it. The Senate stood adjourned to half after eleven o’clock. About ten dressed in my best clothes; went for Mr. Morris’ lodgings, but met his son, who told me that his father would not be in town until Saturday. Turned into the Hall. The crowd already great. The Senate met. The Vice-President rose in the most solemn manner. This son of Adam seemed impressed with deeper gravity, yet what shall I think of him? He often, in the midst of his most important airs–I believe when tie is at loss for expressions (and this he often is, wrapped up, I suppose, in the contemplation of his own importance)– suffers an unmeaning kind of vacant laugh to escape him. This was the case to-day, and really to me bore the air of ridiculing the farce he was acting. “Gentlemen, I wish for the direction of the Senate. The President will, I suppose, addressthe Congress. How shall I behave? How shall we receive it? Shall it be standing or sitting?”
Here followed a considerable deal of talk from him which I could make nothing of. Mr. Lee began with the House of Commons (as is usual with him), then the House of Lords, then the King, and then back again. The result of his information was, that the Lords sat and the Commons stood on the delivery of the King’s speech. Mr. Izard got up and told how often he had been in the Houses of Parliament. He said a great deal of what he had seen there. [He] made, however, this sagacious discovery, that the Commons stood because they had no. seats to sit on, being arrived at the bar of the House of Lords. It was discovered after some time that the King sat, too, and had his robes and crown on.
Mr. Adams got up again and said he had been very often indeed at the Parliament on those occasions, but there always was such a crowd, and ladies along, that for his part he could not say how it was. Mr. Carrol got up to declare that he thought it of no consequence how it was in Great Britain; they were no rule to us, etc. But all at once the Secretary, who had been out, whispered to the Chair that the Clerk from the Representatives was at the door with a communication. Gentlemen of the Senate, how shall he be received? A silly kind of resolution of the committee on that business had been laid on the table some days ago. The amount of it was that each House should communicate to the other what and how they chose; it concluded, however, something in this way: That everything should be done with all the propriety that was proper. The question was, Shall this be adopted, that we may know how to receive the Clerk? It was objected [that] this will throw no light on the subject; it will leave you where you are. Mr. Lee brought the House of Commons before us again. He reprobated the rule; declared that the Clerk should not come within the bar of file House; that the proper mode was for the Sergeant-at-Arms, with the mace on his shoulder, to meet the Clerk at the door and receive his communication; we are not, however, provided for this ceremonious way of doing business, having neither mace nor sergeant nor Masters in Chancery, who carry down bills from the English Lords.
Mr. Izard got up and labored unintelligibly to show the great distinction between a communication and a delivery of a thing, but he was not minded. Mr. Elsworth showed plainly enough that if the Clerk was not permitted to deliver the communication, the Speaker might as well send it inclosed. Repeated accounts came [that] the Speaker and Representatives were at the door. Confusion ensued; the members left their seats. Mr. Read rose and called the attention of the Senate to the neglect that had been shown Mr. Thompson, late Secretary. Mr. Lee rose to answer him, but I could not hear one word he said. The Speaker was introduced, followed by the Representatives. Here we sat an hour and ten minutes before the President arrived–this delay was owing to Lee, Izard, and Dalton, who had stayed with us while the Speaker came in, instead of going to attend the President. The President advanced between the Senate and Representatives, bowing to each. He was placed in the chair by the Vice-President; the Senate with their president on the right, the Speaker and the Representatives on his left. The Vice-President rose and addressed a short sentence to him. The import of it was that he should now take the oath of office as President. He seemed to have forgot half what he was to say, for he made a dead pause and stood for some time, to appearance, in a vacant mood. He finished with a formal bow, and the President was conducted out of the middle window into the gallery, and the oath was administered by the Chancellor. Notice that the business done was communicated to the crowd by proclamation, etc., who gave three cheers, and repeated it on the President’s bowing to them.
As the company returned into the Senate chamber, the President took the chair and the Senators and Representatives their seats. He rose, and all arose also and addressed them. This great man was agitated and embarrassed more than ever he was by the leveled cannon or pointed musket. He trembled, and several times could scarce make out to read, though it must be supposed he had often read it before. He put part of the fingers of his left hand into the side of what I think the tailors call the fall of the breeches, changing the paper into his left hand. After some time he then did the same with some of the fingers of his right hand. When he came to the words all the world, he made a flourish with his right hand, which left rather an ungainly impression. I sincerely, for my part, wished all set ceremony in the hands of the dancing-masters, and that this first of men had read off his address in the plainest manner, without ever taking his eyes from the paper, for I felt hurt that he was not first in everything. He was dressed in deep brown, with metal buttons, with an eagle on them, white stockings, a bag, and sword.
From the hall there was a grand procession to Saint Paul’s Church, where prayers were said by the Bishop. The procession was well conducted and without accident, as far as I have heard. The militia were all under arms, lined the street near the church, made a good figure, and behaved well.
The Senate returned to their chamber after service, formed, and took up the address. Our Vice-President called it his most gracious speech. I can not approve of this. A committee was appointed on it–Johnson, Carrol, Patterson. Adjourned. In the evening there were grand fireworks. The Spanish Ambassador’s house was adorned with transparent paintings; the French Minister’s house was illuminated, and had some transparent pieces; the Hall was grandly illuminated, and after all this the people went to bed.
I have such a deep fondness for John Adams, with all his airs and self-importance and vanity. I just love the guy, what can I say. He’s so feckin’ human.
The description of Washington’s awkwardness makes me want to cry:
He rose, and all arose also and addressed them. This great man was agitated and embarrassed more than ever he was by the leveled cannon or pointed musket. He trembled, and several times could scarce make out to read, though it must be supposed he had often read it before. He put part of the fingers of his left hand into the side of what I think the tailors call the fall of the breeches, changing the paper into his left hand. After some time he then did the same with some of the fingers of his right hand. When he came to the words all the world, he made a flourish with his right hand, which left rather an ungainly impression. I sincerely, for my part, wished all set ceremony in the hands of the dancing-masters, and that this first of men had read off his address in the plainest manner, without ever taking his eyes from the paper, for I felt hurt that he was not first in everything. He was dressed in deep brown, with metal buttons, with an eagle on them, white stockings, a bag, and sword.
God. Good God. But what really moves me is that after the address, they all walked in procession, led by George Washington, to St. Paul’s Church, for a service.
St. Paul’s Church. (Read that article … it’s a well-known story, of course, but it always bears repeating.) St. Paul’s has always had meaning for us here in New York, because of its long history, but now … it has more meaning than ever. I can’t even think about St. Paul’s without feeling tears come to my eyes. So to think … that that special church, that church that became symbolic (not just to us here, but to people all over the country) of hope, or survival, of healing … would be the place where George Washington prayed for guidance after being sworn in as the first President… I mean, honestly. I don’t even know what else to say about it.
April 30, 1789 … the day this new nation embarked on its unknown and exciting course, with George Washington at the helm.
Here is an image of the first page of this inaugural address, in Washington’s own hand.
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The American Meteorological Society
) promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric
Atmospheric sciences is an umbrella term for the study of the atmosphere, its processes, the effects other systems have on the atmosphere, and the effects of the atmosphere on these other systems. Meteorology includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics with a major focus on weather...
and related oceanic
Oceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
and hydrologic sciences
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership of more than 14,000 professionals, professors, students, and weather enthusiasts. Some members have attained the designation "Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM)", many of whom have expertise in the applied meteorology discipline of atmospheric dispersion modeling
Atmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion...
. To the general public, however, the AMS is best known for its "Seal of Approval" to television and radio meteorologists.
The AMS publishes nine atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic journals (in print and online), issues position statements on scientific topics that fall within the scope of their expertise, sponsors more than 12 conferences annually, and offers numerous programs and services. There is also an extensive network of local chapters.
The AMS headquarters are located at Boston, Massachusetts. It was built by the famous Boston architect Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first native-born American to practice architecture as a profession....
, as the third Harrison Gray Otis House
There are three houses named the Harrison Gray Otis House in Boston, Massachusetts. All were built by noted American architect Charles Bulfinch for the same man, Harrison Gray Otis.-First Harrison Gray Otis House:...
in 1806 and was purchased and renovated by the AMS in 1958, with staff moving into the building in 1960. The AMS also maintains an office in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, at 1120 G Street NW.
Seal of Approval
The AMS Seal of Approval program was established in 1957 as a means of recognizing television and radio weather forecasters who display informative, well-communicated, and scientifically-sound weather broadcast presentations. The awarding of a Seal of Approval is based on a demonstration tape submitted by the applicant to six members of a review panel after paying an application fee. Although a formal degree in meteorology is not a requirement to obtain the original Seal of Approval, the minimal requirements of meteorological courses including hydrology, basic meteorology & thermodynamic meteorology including at least 20 core college credits must have been taken first before applying (ensuring that the forecaster has at least a minimal required education in the field). There is no minimum amount of experience required, but previous experience in weather forecasting and broadcasting is suggested before applying. It is worthy to note that many broadcasters who have obtained the Seal of Approval do in fact have formal degrees in Meteorology or related sciences and/or certifications from accredited University programs. Upon meeting the core requirements, having the seal, and working in the field for 3 years that broadcaster may then be referred to as a Meteorologist in the broadcast community.
As of February 2007, more than 1,600 Seals of Approval have been granted, of which more than 700 are considered "active." Seals become inactive when a sealholder's membership renewal and annual seal fees are not paid.
The original Seal of Approval program will be phased out at the end of 2008. Current applicants may either apply for the original Seal of Approval or the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) Seal until December 31, 2008. After that date, only the CBM Seal will be offered. Current sealholders retain the right to use their seal in 2009 and onward, but new applications for the original Seal of Approval will not be accepted after December 31, 2008.
Note: The NWA Seal of Approval is issued by the National Weather Association
The National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
and is independent of the AMS.
Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) Seal
The original Seal of Approval program was revamped in January 2005 with the introduction of the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, or CBM, Seal. This seal introduced a 100-question multiple choice closed-book examination as part of the evaluation process. The questions on the exam cover many aspects of the science of meteorology, forecasting, and related principles. Applicants must answer at least 75 of the questions correctly before being awarded the CBM Seal.
Persons who obtained or applied for the original Seal of Approval before December 31, 2004 and were not rejected are eligible for an upgrade of their Seal of Approval to the CBM Seal upon the successful completion of the CBM exam and payment of applicable fees. Upgrading from the original Seal of Approval is not required. New applicants for the CBM Seal must pay the application fee, pass the exam, and then submit demonstration tapes to the review board before being considered for the CBM Seal. While original sealholders do not have to have a degree in meteorology or a related field of study to be upgraded, brand new applicants for the CBM seal must have a degree in meteorology or a related field of study to be considered.
In order to keep either the CBM Seal or the original Seal of Approval, sealholders must pay all annual dues and show proof of completing certain professional development programs every five years (such as educational presentations at schools, involvement in local AMS chapter events, attendance at weather conferences, and other activities of the like).
As of February 2007, nearly 200 CBM seals have been awarded to broadcast weather forecasters, either upgraded from the original Seal of Approval or granted to new applicants.
American Meteorological Society offers several awards in the fields of meteorology and oceanography.
Atmospheric Research Awards Committee
- The Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal
The Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal is the highest award for atmospheric science of the American Meteorological Society. It is presented to individual scientists, who receive a medal...
- The Jule G. Charney Award
- The Verner E. Suomi Award
- The Remote Sensing Prize
- The Clarence Leroy Meisinger
- The Henry G. Houghton
Oceanographic Research Awards Committee
- The Sverdrup Gold Medal
Sverdrup Gold Medal Award - is the American Meteorological Society's award granted to researchers who make outstanding contributions to the scientific knowledge of interactions between the oceans and the atmosphere.-Recipients:...
- The Henry Stommel Research Award
The Henry Stommel Research Award is awarded by the American Meteorological Society to researchers in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of the understanding of the dynamics and physics of the ocean. The award is in the form of a medallion and was named for Henry...
- The Verner E. Suomi
- The Nicholas P. Fofonoff Award
The American Meteorological Society publishes the following scientific journals:
- Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society.The official organ of the society, it is devoted to editorials, topical reports to members, articles, professional and membership news, conference announcements, programs and...
- Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
The Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society...
- Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
The Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society....
- Journal of Physical Oceanography
Journal of Physical Oceanography is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society . It was established in January 1971 and is available on the web since 1996...
- Monthly Weather Review
The Monthly Weather Review is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society.Topics covered by the journal include research related to analysis and prediction of observed and modeled circulations of the atmosphere, including technique development, data assimilation, model...
- Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
The Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology is a scientific publication by the American Meteorological Society.The journal includes papers describing the instrumentation and methodology used in atmospheric and oceanic research including computational techniques, methods for data acquisition,...
- Weather and Forecasting
Weather and Forecasting is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society.Articles on forecasting and analysis techniques, forecast verification studies, and case studies useful to forecasters...
- Journal of Climate
The Journal of Climate is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society.The journal publishes articles on climate research, in particular those concerned with large-scale atmospheric and oceanic variability, changes in the climate system , and climate simulation and...
- Journal of Hydrometeorology
The Journal of Hydrometeorology is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society. It covers the modeling, observing, and forecasting of processes related to water and energy fluxes and storage terms, including interactions with the boundary layer and lower atmosphere, and...
- Weather, Climate, and Society (new journal, to start 2009)
- Earth Interactions
Earth Interactions is a scientific journal published by the American Meteorological Society, American Geophysical Union, and Association of American Geographers....
- Meteorological Monographs
Meteorological Monographs is a publication of the American Meteorological Society.The AMS Monograph Series has two parts, historical and meteorological...
The American Meteorological Society produces the following scientific databases:
- Meteorological and Geoastrophysical Abstracts
As a means of promoting "the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications", the AMS periodically publishes policy statements on issues related to its competence on subjects such as drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related phenomena observed since the late 1970s: a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere , and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions. The latter phenomenon...
and acid deposition
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions . It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen...
In 2003, the AMS issued the position statement Climate Change Research: Issues for the Atmospheric and Related Sciences
- Human activities have become a major source of environmental change. Of great urgency are the climate consequences of the increasing atmospheric abundance of greenhouse gases... Because greenhouse gases continue to increase, we are, in effect, conducting a global climate experiment, neither planned nor controlled, the results of which may present unprecedented challenges to our wisdom and foresight as well as have significant impacts on our natural and societal systems.
- The Maury Project (a comprehensive national program of teacher enhancement based on studies of the physical foundations of oceanography)
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Using Command Line using Visual C++ 2008
- Select Start >> All Programs >> Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition >> Visual Studio Tools >> Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt (Run with administrator privileges)
- Once you are in the command line, you can use any editor such as edit to write a C program.
C:> edit myprogram.c
- After written the program, to compile it, issue the command cl
C:> cl myprogram.c
- During the compilation and linking, myprogram.obj and myprogram.exe will be created.
- To run the program:
Using Visual C++ 2008 IDE
- Create an empty project by select File >> New >> Project. Select General >> Empty Project and type in the project name.
- Under folder Source, right-click Select Add >> New Item.
- Under Code, Select C++ File (.cpp), however, when you type in the name use a program name with extension .c, such as myprog.c and click Add
- You can program to type your C program. Click Save icon to save your file.
- To compile the program select Build >> Compile (Ctrl+F7).
- Please note that you cannot run the program until you have build solution.
- To build solution select Build >> Build Solution (F7)
- Running the program:
- Select Debug >> Start without debugging (Ctrl+F5)
- For any runtime error, you can debug the program as follows:
- Select Debug >> Start debugging (F5)
- Please note that during debugging, the program will show and close the console display immediately.
- To see the console display, you must run without debugging.
- The problem using Visual Studio is that many files will be created even for a simple program. All files are created inside the project folder.
- Under the project name of your program, the source code and object file is located at sub folder similar to your project name, the executable file is under sub folder debug.
Using Borland C++ Compiler Command Line Tools
- Installing and running the Command Line Tools
- Run freecommandlinetools.exe; choose the drive and folder into which you want to install the free C++Builder 5 command line tool development system.
- From the bin directory of your installation: Add “c:\Borland\Bcc55\bin” to the existing path
- Create a bcc32.cfg file which will set the compiler options for the Include and Lib paths (-I and –L switches to compiler) by adding these lines:
- Create an ilink32.cfg file which will set the linker option for the Lib path by adding this line:
- Compiling the program:
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KDL Recommends For Kids > PLAY-GROW-READ! - Books for Early Literacy > Katie L. Talks: Books that Invite Participation
Shout! Shout It Out!
Title: Shout! Shout It Out!
Author: Denise Fleming
CONCEPT E FLEMING
Mouse invites the reader to shout out what he or she knows as they review numbers, letters, and easy words.
Kids are often told to sit still and be quiet. But Denise Fleming encourages them to shout, shout it out! By taking basic learning concepts like numbers, letters, and colors and putting them on display, she asks kids to shout out what they know—and her readers will be happy to oblige.
With bold colors and her unique handmade paper art, Denise Fleming makes learning into a game. Long-time fans and sharp-eyed newcomers will be happy to see that Mouse returns on every page, shouting along with the crowd!
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| ||Minding Your Mind || |
When Striving for Perfection Is a Problem
Last Reviewed by Faculty of Harvard Medical School on May 4, 2012
By Howard LeWine, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
Some people can't live with the slightest imperfection. Their need to appear or be perfect perfectionism is so intense that it's exhausting if not painful.
But striving for perfection, while accepting that perfection rarely can be achieved, can lead to growth and development and a feeling of satisfaction. It can be a powerful motivator as long as it is based on reasonable standards and expectation. For example, the desire to have a perfect golf swing or tennis stroke can enhance the pleasure you take in these pursuits, whether you are an amateur or professional.
Perfectionism is unproductive, however, when it is linked to excessively high standards and is driven by a fear of failure.
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Types of Perfectionism
Perfectionism comes in many forms:
- Obsessive concern over mistakes
- Setting excessively high personal standards
- Perceiving parents as overly critical
- Unreasonable doubts about ability to perform tasks
- An over-emphasis on organization
- Trying to live up to high expectations you're convinced other people, such as parents, have of you
- Having high expectations of other people
But whatever form it takes, perfectionism can rob you of life's pleasures.
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The Roots of Perfectionism
It may not be so easy to figure out where perfectionism comes from. For some, it is a part of their inborn temperament like perfect skin and teeth. Researchers have linked perfectionism to anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The trait of perfectionism is common among people with obsessive-compulsive disorders. Or it could be a response to having parents who expected too much from you. Maybe they never let you off the hook, even if you got 98 out of 100 on an exam.
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The Role of Indirect Aggression
What goes on outside the home is also a big factor in the development of perfectionism. For some women, perfectionism is a way to cope with indirect aggression, a term for the socially manipulative behaviors of the stereotypical "mean girls" that they may have experienced.
A recent study published in the journal Aggressive Behavior supports the idea that perfectionism may develop in a social group and suggests that indirect aggression triggers it. The "aggressor" talks behind a person's back, gives someone the "silent treatment," tells secrets, or is nice in private but rejecting in public to hide her hostility toward another.
Girls and women tend to resort to this kind of social bullying because they are not encouraged or taught how to express aggressive or competitive feelings directly. They become aggressive in ways that can be easily concealed or denied.
For the study, researchers at McMaster University asked two groups of college-age women to fill out surveys about what types of verbal abuse, physical abuse and indirect aggression they had experienced in grades 3 through 12. They also asked the women to answer questions to gauge whether they were perfectionists.
The women who recalled experiencing indirect aggression in childhood were more likely to become perfectionists by the time they reached college. Verbal and physical abuse apparently was not linked to perfectionism.
The authors acknowledge that the study asked subjects to report on old experiences and that women who are perfectionistic might be more likely to recall past events in a negative way, no matter how they were treated in reality.
Even so, the authors say that a victim of indirect aggression may without knowing it come to feel that being "perfect" is the only way to assert herself in social situations or maintain control. Thus, perfectionism becomes a way to cope with a threatening environment.
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Making Perfectionism Work for You
There is a fine line between the positive aspects of striving to be perfect and perfectionism that can be detrimental. Striving to be perfect can be very positive as long as it:
- Is realistic
- Moves you forward
- Helps you feel stronger
- Gives you the satisfaction you deserve after all that hard work.
Perfectionism becomes a problem when it makes you feel worse instead of better, or when your inability to be satisfied unless you are perfect realizing that it will always be out of reach causes suffering.
You can make perfectionism work for you. Here's how:
- Look at and change unrealistic and self-destructive thought patterns with cognitive behavior therapy.
- Understand how you became perfectionistic and ease up on unwarranted self-criticism. Psychodynamic therapy can help you do this.
- If you do have one of the underlying disorders linked to perfectionism (obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety or depression), then a medication or psychotherapy may help by targeting the pressure coming from that source.
Consult a mental health professional as a first step. The goal is to let go of the excessively high standards and find ways to cope with fears of failure. At the same time, you want to hold on to the positive force of striving for perfection.
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Howard LeWine, M.D. is chief editor of Internet Publishing, Harvard Health Publications. He is a clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine has been a primary care internist and teacher of internal medicine since 1978.
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Learn something new every day More Info... by email
Thermal epoxy is any adhesive epoxy that has one or more substances added to it to enhance thermal, or heat, transfer. These epoxies can be electrically conductive or not conductive, depending on the thermal additive used. Silver and other metal-based thermal additives are usually electrically conductive, and thermal epoxies that contain these additives must be applied very carefully so as not to cause electrical shorts. Ceramic-based additives are not electrically conductive but are also not as efficient at thermal conduction.
Manufacturers make thermal epoxies that are designed to work as high-performance engineering adhesives and structural adhesives in a wide range of applications and environments. These include aircraft, boats, marine equipment, cars, surfboards, snowboards, and bicycles, among others. There are thermal formulations for almost every application imaginable, including those that cure while under water, those that remain very flexible or get quite rigid when cured, those resistant to fire or high heat, and even those certified by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for low outgassing.
Heat can damage or destroy electrical components, and today’s high-speed computer components produce a large amount of heat that must be removed. Devices called heat sinks are used to pull heat away from an object and dissipate the heat to the air, sometimes with the help of a cooling fan. Heat sinks are made from metal alloys designed to have excellent thermal conduction properties, and they have specially designed fins to help conduct and remove the heat. They are almost always mounted to a surface using a special adhesive thermal epoxy.
When used in computer applications, a thermal epoxy can help fill microscopic voids that occur in the surfaces of heat sinks and other devices. These voids occur in the manufacturing process. When two objects are mounted together, for instance a chip and a heat sink, the voids fill with air. Air is a very poor thermal conductor, so a substance is introduced to fill the voids and help conduct the heat to the heat sink for removal. The substance used can be thermal grease, thermal tape, thermal pads or, if the device needs to be secured to the mounting surface, thermal epoxy.
When applying thermal epoxy it is very important to use the least possible amount required to fill any voids and make the bond. If a too-thick coat of epoxy is applied, the electrical conductivity of the epoxy will be degraded. Once the epoxy has cured, the bond between the two surfaces is permanent. Epoxies should only be used in well-ventilated areas, and the manufacturer’s instructions should always be followed for best results.
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VLADNIC, Romania (AP) -- Their origins are a mystery. The most widely accepted theory is that the Csango people of Romania's remote eastern Carpathian mountains began settling around the 13th Century, dispatched by Hungarian rulers to defend the kingdom's easternmost frontier.
Of Roman Catholic faith and speaking a medieval Hungarian dialect, they still live in relative isolation, harvesting vegetables and nuts, some of which they exchange for oil, rice and other necessities brought in by village-to-village Romanian salesmen.
The Csangos fear that their culture and language are eroding. Since Romania joined the European Union in 2007, an entire generation of adults has been lured away by the prospect of jobs in countries like Italy and Spain.
In some homes, grandparents are looking after as many as 14 grandchildren.
A group of doctors from a Hungarian Catholic charity recently visited Vladnic and the nearby Csango villages of Ciucan and Tuta to give eye and dental tests.
For 14-year-old Tuta resident Annamaria Laura Lupo, the eye exam was long overdue. She said she's been having headaches and it was affecting her studies at school. Now, she and her mother are awaiting glasses that will be sent from Budapest.
Dentist Renata Jaky said there was a near total lack of oral hygiene. "When I ask the kids how many times they brush their teeth, the most usual answer is 'never,'" she said.
Children are key to the villages' survival and many start work before sunrise.
"I get up at five in the morning and start the day by milking the goat and taking the animals out to pasture. Only after that do I go to school," said Gyorgy Radavoi, a 14-year-old boy. "My mother died and my father works abroad all year. I'm happy when my granddad isn't drunk, we have food to eat and it's warm at home."
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Margaret Woodrow Wilson, the daughter of President at the time Thomas Woodrow Wilson, singing the U.S. national anthem “Star Spangled Banner” in 1915. After her mother’s death in 1914 Margaret served as the First Lady of the United States until her father’s second marriage in 1915. She would go on to make several recordings around 1918. In 1938 she travelled to the ashram of Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry, India where she chose to stay for the rest of her life. She was later known in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram as ‘Nistha’ (Sanskrit for “sincerity”). In 1942, she and the scholar Joseph Campbell edited the English translation of the classical work on the Hindu mystic, Sri Ramakrishna, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Nikhilananda, which was published in 1942. She was to die two years later, 6 years after entering the ashram, of a kidney infection aged 57. (Wikipedia)
The lyrics of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” come from “Defence of Fort McHenry”, a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay 200 years ago this year in the War of 1812. The image above shows the U.S. flag flying above Fort McHenry in 1914. (Wikipedia)
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Technology in the Classroom
Assistive Word Processing
Assistive technology to support writing includes special software as well as inexpensive word processors.
Using a Pen Scanner
Pen scanners, handheld scanner and Iris Pens
Effective Use of Switches
Augmentative or Alternative Communication
Augmentative or Alternative Communication or AAC. Picture symbol systems, symbol boards, voice output etc.
Word Q - Predictive Software Application
This application makes Dyslexic students want to write! Find out what all the excitement is when language delayed or impaired students use Word Q.
An extensive search database for those people looking for information on assistive products for people with disabilities.
Assistive Technology Solutions
This site offers a list of solutions and devices that make accessing the computer easier for students with disabilities.
Assisitive Technology Tools
A great site dedicated to enhancing the lives of children and adults with disabilities using the latest assistive technology.
Communicating with Technology
Find out about synthetic speech systems, speech to text and screen readers. Great for the visually or hearing impaired student.
A Language Arts Lesson Plan on Summarizing Text
A lesson plan for teachers to use technology and students' interest in texting to reinforce summarizing skills and to increase reading comprehension. This lesson plan is aimed toward high school students.
Tips for Using a Smart Board in the Special Education Classroom
Smart Boards are fun tools for children with disabilities, working like giant touch screens.
IEPgoals.net Is a New Site Offering Support for Goal Writing
IEPgoals.net, a new website, provides goal writing guidance, especially useful for early intervention and children on the autistic spectrum disorder.
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Press Release: First Comprehensive National Study Finds Centers Safest Form of Childcare
Child care centers are much safer than all other forms of child care, according to a new national study.
Sociologists Julia Wrigley and Joanna Dreby of the City University of New York Graduate Center created a comprehensive database of child care failures, including fatalities, between 1985 and 2003. They found that child care is quite safe overall, and child care fatalities are rarer than outside of paid care. But the fatality rate for children who receive child care in private homes is sixteen times higher than the fatality rate for children in child care centers.
The study appears in the October issue of the American Sociological Review . It was funded by the Foundation for Child Development.
While more than 8 million children are in paid child care every day, until now little has been known about their safety. Wrigley and Dreby analyzed reports of 1,362 fatalities (among 4,356 caregiving failures) from 1985 to 2003. The fatality data was gathered from media reports, legal cases, and state records. Three forms of child care were investigated: child care centers, nannies working in children's homes, and family day care providers working in their own homes.
"While accidents can happen anywhere, child care centers are almost 100% protective against children's deaths by violence. They are much safer than arrangements in private homes," explains Wrigley.
Infants are by far the most vulnerable children in care. Their fatality rate from both accidents and violence is nearly seven times higher than that of children from one to four. Equally striking are differences in infant fatality rates across types of care. The infant fatality rate in the care of nannies or family day care providers is more than seven times higher than that in centers.
Why are centers the safest form of child care?
Wrigley and Dreby conclude that centers are the safest form of child care because they afford children multiple forms of protection. Most importantly, staff members do not work alone. They have others watching them and helping them cope with fussy infants or whining toddlers. This helps them maintain their emotional control. It also helps identify and remove unstable or volatile workers. Center teachers also have more training than most caregivers in private homes and they are supervised by professionally-trained directors. Finally, centers control access by outsiders more effectively to keep out people who might pose risks.
These protections help reduce risks of accidental deaths, such as suffocation and drowning. But they are especially important in preventing violent deaths. Not a single shaken baby fatality was found in a child care center, while 203 were reported in arrangements in private homes. The stress of infant crying, in particular, can drive caregivers to impulsive acts of violence. With little professional training, without supervisors or coworkers, and often paid very little for long hours of work, even some experienced caregivers can lose emotional control. Once children are past the toddler years, safety differences between centers and other forms of child care diminish.
Wrigley says, "Child care is quite safe overall, but it could be made safer. We need to recognize what a stressful and demanding job it is to look after young children. Improved safety will only come with more resources and closer regulation of care."
How can we improve child care safety?
A complete copy of the article, titled: "Fatalities and the Organization of Childcare," can be found beginning November 1 on the website of the American Sociological Association www.asanet.org which will also be linked from The Graduate Center's website www.gc.cuny.edu . Hard copies may be obtained from by contacting Johanna Ebner at the American Sociological Association, 1307 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20005.
While working on this research, Julia Wrigley was a Professor of Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center, where she was recently appointed Acting Associate Provost. Her work focuses on social class and inequality. She is the author of Class Politics and Public Schools , on conflicts over the control and funding of Chicago's schools, and Other People's Children , on relations between middle-class parents and their children's caregivers. She edited Sociology of Education and chaired the ASA section on Children and Youth.
Joanna Dreby is a Ph.D. student in Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center. Her research interests include child care, the sociology of children, gender and families and immigration/transnational communities. She recently spent a year in Mexico on a Fulbright doing research for her dissertation on parent-child separation in Mexican transnational families.
The Foundation for Child Development is a national, private philanthropy dedicated to the principle that all families should have the social and material resources to raise their children to be healthy, educated, and productive members of society. PK-3, the Foundation's signature focus, seeks to create a new beginning for public education from prekindergarten through third grade. For more information, visit the Foundation's website, http://www.fcd-us.org.
The Graduate Center is the doctorate-granting institution of The City University of New York. The only consortium of its kind in the nation, the school draws its faculty of more than 1,700 members mainly from the CUNY senior colleges. Established in 1961, The Graduate Center has grown to an enrollment of about 4,000 students in 32 doctoral programs and six master's degree programs in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The Graduate Center also houses 28 research centers and institutes, administers the CUNY Baccalaureate Program as well as a number of other university-wide academic programs, and offers a wide range of continuing education and cultural programs of interest to the general public. Further information on The Graduate Center's programs and activities can be found on its website at: www.gc.cuny.edu.
Submitted on: NOV 1, 2005
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FISHING FORECAST TAKES GUESS WORK OUT OF WHERE TO FISH
Feb. 14, 2013
Anglers use fishing forecast to find hidden opportunities
PRATT – The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) 2013 Fishing Forecast features the ins and outs of fish populations in public waters around the state, helping anglers to better decide where to cast their lines. Comprised of sampling efforts conducted during annual lake monitoring, the fishing forecast gives anglers detailed information on the best bodies of water to fish for their specific fishing needs.
The data collected is divided into three categories based on the size of the body of water sampled. Reservoirs are defined as bodies of water larger than 1,200 acres, lakes are defined as bodies of water from 10 to 1,200 acres, and bodies of water smaller than 10 acres are defined as ponds. Since not every lake is sampled each year, the forecast provides a three-year average of each location to provide anglers with the best available information.
In addition to what species of fish can be caught at any given body of water, the fishing forecast also includes tables with a Density Rating, Preferred Rating, Lunker Rating, Biggest Fish (the largest fish sampled), Biologist’s Rating and the previously-mentioned Three-Year Average of popular species.
The Density Rating is the number of fish that were high-quality size or larger sampled per unit of sampling effort. High-quality size, listed in parentheses at the top of the Density Rating column, is the length of fish considered acceptable to most anglers and is different for each species. The higher the Density Rating, the more high-quality-sized or larger fish per surface acre in the lake. Theoretically, a lake with a Density Rating of 30 has twice as many high-quality-sized fish per acre as a lake with a Density Rating of 15.
The Preferred Rating identifies how many above-average-sized fish a water contains. For example, a lake may have a good density of crappie, but few fish over 10 inches. The Preferred Rating tells an angler where to go to for a chance to catch bigger fish.
The Lunker Rating is similar to the Density Rating, but it tells you the relative density of lunker-sized fish in the lake. A lunker is a certain length of fish considered a trophy by most anglers. It also differs with each species and is listed in parentheses at the top of the Lunker Rating column. For example, most anglers consider a channel catfish longer than 28 inches a lunker. Many lakes may have a lunker rating of 0, but this does not mean there are no big fish in that lake. It just means that no lunker fish were caught during sampling, and they may be less abundant than in lakes with positive Lunker Ratings.
You can use the Density Rating and Lunker Rating together. If you want numbers, go with the highest Density Rating. If you want only big fish, go with the Lunker Rating. Somewhere in the middle might be a better choice. A lake with a respectable rating in all three categories will provide the best overall fishing opportunities.
The Biggest Fish column lists the weight of the largest fish caught during sampling. A heavy fish listed here can give the lunker fishermen confidence that truly big fish are present.
The Biologist’s Rating adds a human touch to the forecast. Each district fisheries biologist reviews the data from annual sampling of their assigned lakes. This review considers environmental conditions that may have affected the sampling. They also consider previous years’ data. A rating of P (poor), F (fair), G (good), or E (excellent) will be in the last column. Sometimes the Density Rating may not agree with the Biologist’s Rating. This will happen occasionally and means the Density Rating may not accurately reflect the biologist’s opinion of the fishery.
The Three-Year Average rating refers to the averaging of the Density Rating over the previous three years of sampling to help show a trend for a particular lake.
Whether anglers are simply looking for a new spot to cast, or are searching for that elusive trophy fish, the 2013 Fishing Forecast is an invaluable tool for any fisherman.
A copy of this year’s forecast can be found in the March/April issue of Kansas Wildlife and Parks magazine, any KDWPT office or license vendor.
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Midnight Rising: John Brown & the Raid that Sparked the Civil War
November 2, 2011
Abolitionist John Brown is best known for his foiled attempt to seize the federal armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, on October 16th 1859. Three years after he and his sons raided and viciously killed five men at a pro-slavery settlement in Kansas, Brown led 18 men, including five blacks and two of his sons, to what is now Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Ten of the men were killed in the raid, one got away, and seven were hanged, including Brown. Our guest, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist TONY HORWITZ, considers if Brown’s intention was to be a martyr for his vehement anti-slavery war stance, as he deepened and exposed the divide between the North and the South and forced people to take sides. In his new book, Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War, he researches the beginnings of Brown’s Calvinist, anti-slavery family and ponders the question whether John Brown's legacy is as a hero or a zealous vigilante.
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Patent Models: Textile and Sewing Machines - Introduction
For much of the nineteenth century, inventors submitted a model with their patent application to the United States Patent Office. The National Museum of American History’s patent model collection began with the acquisition of 284 models from the Patent Office in June 1908, and reached more than 1,000 models by the end of that summer. In 1926, Congress decided to dispense with the stored collection of models and gave the Smithsonian Institution the opportunity to collect any models it wanted. Today, the Museum’s collection exceeds 10,000 patent models dating from 1836 to 1910.
The Museum’s Textile Collection contains over four thousand patent models. The collection includes many examples of carding machines, spinning machines, knitting machines, rope making machines, looms, baskets, carpets, fabrics, and sewing machines. Even the simple clothespin is well represented, with 41 patent models.
This sampling of patent models from the Textile Collection describes the two major groupings, textile machinery and sewing machines. In both groups, the examination of the models begins with the earliest of the inventions. In this early group of patent models, the textile machinery models date from 1837 to 1840, and the sewing machine models from 1842 to 1854.
For more information about the Museum’s patent model collection, see Patent Model Index, Guide to the Collections of the National Museum of American History.
"Patent Models: Textile and Sewing Machines - Introduction" showing 1 items.
- Spinning Wheel Patent Model
- Patent No. 710, issued April 25, 1838
- Hiram F. Wheeler of Springville, Pennsylvania
- Hiram Wheeler’s domestic wheel was for spinning wool. He titled his invention “inclined spinner,” referring to the fact that the operator would sit at the wheel as opposed to standing and walking when using the typical wool wheel. When the treadle was forced down by the operator’s foot, a cord pulled the carriage and spinning wheel head away from the spinner. A weight brought both of them back toward the spinner. This movement of the carriage was equivalent to the spinner walking forward to the spindle tip for the draw out and then back to the wheel. Wheeler specifically claimed as his invention this sliding action of the wheel head.
- Currently not on view
- model constructed
- before 1838-04-25
- patent date
- Wheeler, Hiram F.
- ID Number
- catalog number
- accession number
- patent number
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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By Rob Coppinger in London
European hypersonic civil transport project heats up as three concepts undergo trials
An aircraft capable of flying five times the speed of sound and reaching Sydney in between two and four hours from Brussels is the leading design in a €7 million European research project to find a hypersonic civilian airliner replacement to the supersonic Concorde.
A Mach 5 civil transport aircraft designed by a UK team is leading a pack of three concepts undergoing preliminary studies for the three-year, €7 million ($9 million) European hypersonic research project, Long Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies (LAPCAT).
With €4 million from the European Commission and the rest from industry, LAPCAT aims to develop a vehicle capable of travelling from Europe to Australia in 2-4h.
Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engine says its A2 (a Flight artist's impression of which is pictured above), meets take-off noise restrictions and is powered by hydrogen-fuelled turbine-based combine cycle (TBCC) engines.
The other two concepts are an EADS Mach 8 vehicle with rocket-based combined cycle propulsion and German aerospace research centre DLR’s kerosene-fuelled, TBCC-powered Mach 4 craft.
LAPCAT is being co-ordinated by the European Space Agency for the EC. “Results so far show [the Mach 5 vehicle from Reaction Engines] can avoid later [technology] pitfalls and could travel from Brussels to Sydney,” says ESA’s LAPCAT project co-ordinator Johan Steelant. Criteria for vehicle evaluation include safety, ability to reach diversion airports, adaptability to different sonic boom restrictions and technological maturation. Steelant cites the heat exchangers in Reaction Engine’s Scimitar TBCC engine as being more advanced in their development.
Later this month tests of an experimental engine intake will start at a DLR windtunnel facility. These should be followed by nozzle tests in July and eventually combustion chamber and combined intake, chamber and nozzle testing.
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